Calculators do not inherently account for significant figures in their computations. They provide results based on the precision of the input values and their own display capabilities. For instance, operations like multiplication yield exact results, while decimal representations depend on the calculator's formatting. Users must manually apply the rules of significant figures to interpret results correctly.
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I don't believe that the concept of significant figures enters into things at all. A calculator will either give you an exact result (e.g., 2 * 5 = 10, .02 * .04 = .008) or will produce a result with as many decimal places as it is able to display.fisico30 said:Dear Forum,
why do calculators always give an incorrect number of significant figures?
fisico30 said:What assumptions do they make?
thanks
fisico30