A question about signifigant digits

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The discussion revolves around the application of significant digits in calculations, specifically addressing the confusion about rounding results. A user calculated a final velocity of 25.48 m/s but believed the correct significant digit answer should be 25 m/s, only to find it rounded to 25.5 m/s. Another user pointed out that the rounding might not adhere to standard significant digit rules, suggesting that the textbook or source material may have inconsistencies. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding how significant digits are determined in different contexts. Ultimately, users are encouraged to verify the rules applied in their specific educational resources.
doctordiddy
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Hi, I was just wondering if there was a rule in signifigant digits that says an extra digit is added if the full answer happens to be very far from the signifigant digit answer?

I know it sounds confusing but what I mean is this

I solved a question using these numbers

vi=0
a=9.8 m/s^2
t= 2.6s

I was looking for final velocity, and I found that the answer before signifigant digits is 25.48m/s, so I thought the answer after signifigant digits would be 25 m/s, but instead it was 25.5 m/s. Can anyone tell me why this is?
 
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This is the case where an extra digit is added. :)

ehild
 
ehild said:
This is the case where an extra digit is added. :)

ehild

So how close exactly does it have to be?

For another question my units were

vi=0
vf=65
a=3

but the d i got was 704, when I thought it should have been 700
 
It looks to me like this was from a textbook problem and I surmise that either the author(s) of the text or your instructor simply didn't follow the rules for significant digits. Given the information you provided, your answer is correct.
 
Tide said:
It looks to me like this was from a textbook problem and I surmise that either the author(s) of the text or your instructor simply didn't follow the rules for significant digits. Given the information you provided, your answer is correct.

Yeah after doing more questions from the same website I found that out, this is the website I got it from, it seems like all the answers are rounded to 3 decimal places if they have more than that.

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/1dkin/u1l6d.cfm#q3
 
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