Judge the following statements as true or false. If you believe a statement to be false, provide a corrected version. (g) The number 0.0033 has more significant figures than 0.033.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the number of significant figures in 0.0033. Significant figures are the digits that carry meaning contributing to its precision. Leading zeros are not significant.
2. Count the significant figures in 0.0033. The digits '33' are significant, so there are 2 significant figures.
3. Identify the number of significant figures in 0.033. Again, leading zeros are not significant.
4. Count the significant figures in 0.033. The digits '33' are significant, so there are 2 significant figures.
5. Compare the number of significant figures in both numbers. Since both 0.0033 and 0.033 have 2 significant figures, the statement is false. A corrected version of the statement is: 'The number 0.0033 has the same number of significant figures as 0.033.'

Key Concepts

Significant Figures

Significant figures are the digits in a number that contribute to its precision. This includes all non-zero digits, any zeros between significant digits, and trailing zeros in the decimal portion. Understanding significant figures is crucial for accurately reporting measurements and performing calculations in chemistry.

Leading Zeros

Leading zeros are the zeros that precede all non-zero digits in a number. They are not considered significant because they do not affect the value of the number. For example, in the number 0.0033, the leading zeros do not count towards the significant figures, which are only the '3' and '3'.

Comparing Significant Figures

When comparing the number of significant figures in two numbers, it is essential to identify the significant digits in each. In the case of 0.0033 and 0.033, both have two significant figures, as the leading zeros do not count. Thus, the statement that 0.0033 has more significant figures than 0.033 is false.