How many significant figures are in the number 0.000500?

How many significant figures are in the number 0.000500?

Step 1: Identify the non-zero digits in the number 0.000500. The non-zero digit is 5.
Step 2: Count the zeros that are between non-zero digits. In this case, there are no zeros between non-zero digits.
Step 3: Identify the trailing zeros. The zeros after the 5 (which are 00) are significant because they come after a decimal point and a non-zero digit.
Step 4: Count all the significant figures. We have 1 (from 5) + 1 (from the first 0) + 1 (from the second 0) = 3 significant figures.

Significant Figures – Significant figures are the digits in a number that contribute to its precision, including all non-zero digits, any zeros between significant digits, and trailing zeros in the decimal portion.