About rounding off for significant figures

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SUMMARY

The correct method for rounding the number 3.549 to two significant figures is to focus on the digit in the one-tenths place, which is 5. According to standard rounding rules, since the digit to the right (the one-hundredths place) is 4, the one-tenths digit remains unchanged. Therefore, the rounded result is 3.5, not 3.6. This approach emphasizes the importance of identifying significant figures correctly in numerical rounding.

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shortydeb
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Let's say I want to round the number 3.549 off to two significant figures. Do I have to round the 4 to 5 first, or do I just round the 5 (in the one-tenths place) to 5, since the one-hundreths digit is 4? If I do it by the first method, it would be 3.6, while the 2nd method gives 3.5. Which is right?

Thanks.
 
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It should be 3.5. You look at the digit which is one-tenth the value of the previous one on the left. The significant values should be the digits in the largest tens/tenth places, and then you round up/down the digit which are next to it.
 

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