What do you mean by significant figures?
Solution and Explanation
Significant figures are those meaningful digits that are known with certainty. They indicate uncertainty in an experiment or calculated value. For example, if 15.6 mL is the result of an experiment, then 15 is certain while 6 is uncertain, and the total number of significant figures are 3.
Hence, significant figures are defined as the total number of digits in a number including the last digit that represents the uncertainty of the result.
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Concepts Used:
Dimensional Analysis
Dimensional Analysis is a process which helps verify any formula by the using the principle of homogeneity. Basically dimensions of each term of a dimensional equation on both sides should be the same.
Limitation of Dimensional Analysis: Dimensional analysis does not check for the correctness of value of constants in an equation.
Using Dimensional Analysis to check the correctness of the equation
Let us understand this with an example:
Suppose we don’t know the correct formula relation between speed, distance and time,
We don’t know whether
(i) Speed = Distance/Time is correct or
(ii) Speed =Time/Distance.
Now, we can use dimensional analysis to check whether this equation is correct or not.
By reducing both sides of the equation in its fundamental units form, we get
(i) [L][T]-¹ = [L] / [T] (Right)
(ii) [L][T]-¹ = [T] / [L] (Wrong)
From the above example it is evident that the dimensional formula establishes the correctness of an equation.