Significant?...I Don’t Think So

By Evan Smith

You know, I really love my calculatorWhen I multiply, divide, subtract or add,

I get so many digits in my answer, Lots and lots of digits can’t be bad…right?

Well, my science teacher told me to be careful,Some of those digits have to go.

She said I have to learn to round my answer,There are rules that science students have to know

This calculator is my special friend, Its little brain never makes mistakes,

Every number on its screen is mathematically correct,But significant?...I don’t think so

• Every scientific measurement’s uncertain• Uncertain to varying degrees• So when one or more are used in calculations,• The answer also has uncertainty

So you have to round your answer to the problem.And even though it sounds a little cruel,You have to trash a few of those digits,

According to a certain set of rules.

This calculator is my special friend, Its little brain never makes mistakes,

Every number on its screen is mathematically correct,But significant?...I don’t think so

When you multiply or divide uncertain values, Your answer should be rounded when you’re

through.To the least number of sig figs in any of those values,

It’s really, really not that bad to do.

When you add or subtract uncertain values.Decimal places are the key.

Count the fewest number of decimal places in those values.

And then you should round accordingly.

This calculator is my special friend, Its little brain never makes mistakes,

Every number on its screen is mathematically correct,But significant?...I don’t think so

This calculator is my special friend, Its little brain never makes mistakes,

Every number on its screen is mathematically correct,But significant?...I don’t think so