Which of the following numbers has the same number of significant figures as 1.00310?

• A. 0.0456
• B. 123.45
• C. 100.310
• D. 0.0045600

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the number of significant figures in the given number 1.00310. Count all digits starting from the first non-zero digit, including zeros between digits and trailing zeros after the decimal point. For 1.00310, this means counting all six digits because the trailing zero after the decimal is significant.
2. Determine the number of significant figures in each option by applying the rules of significant figures: leading zeros are not significant, all non-zero digits are significant, zeros between non-zero digits are significant, and trailing zeros in a decimal number are significant.
3. For 0.0456, ignore the leading zeros and count the digits 4, 5, and 6, which gives 3 significant figures.
4. For 123.45, all digits are non-zero, so count all five digits, giving 5 significant figures.
5. For 100.310, count all digits including zeros between non-zero digits and trailing zeros after the decimal point, resulting in 6 significant figures, which matches the number of significant figures in 1.00310.