How many sig figs do i write down for this: (2.06/5.999)+156.5?
3 because you always use the lowest number of digits in a number as your sig fis
1 sig fig after the decimal because after 2.06/5.999 you'd need 3 sig figs total but since it is initially an addition problem you'd need 1 digit after the decimal because 156.5 only has 1 digit after the decimal.
To determine the number of significant figures in a calculation, you follow a few simple rules:
1. Addition/Subtraction: The result should have the same number of decimal places as the number with the fewest decimal places in the calculation.
2. Multiplication/Division: The result should have the same number of significant figures as the number with the fewest significant figures in the calculation.
Now, let's apply these rules to the calculation you provided: (2.06/5.999) + 156.5.
Step 1: Division
Dividing 2.06 by 5.999 gives us a result of approximately 0.3433905650941824. Since the number 5.999 has four significant figures, the result of the division should also have four significant figures.
Step 2: Addition
Adding 0.3434 (rounded result of the division) to 156.5 gives us a result of approximately 156.8434. The number 156.5 has four significant figures, so the final result of the calculation should also have four significant figures.
Therefore, the answer to your question is that you should write down four significant figures: 156.8.