Significant Figures Calculator

Count significant figures and perform operations with proper rounding.

Loading...

Features

Sig Fig Counter

Accurately count significant figures in any number, including scientific notation.

Arithmetic Operations

Perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with proper sig fig rounding.

Scientific Notation Support

Handles numbers in scientific notation and converts output appropriately.

Detailed Results

Shows both raw and rounded results with explanations.

About Significant Figures Calculator

A comprehensive tool for working with significant figures. Count the number of significant figures in any number and perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with proper rounding according to scientific rules.

How to Use Significant Figures Calculator

  • 1
    Choose Function

    Select between Sig Fig Counter or Operations Calculator tabs.

  • 2
    Enter Values

    Input your numbers (scientific notation supported).

  • 3
    Select Operation

    For operations, choose the arithmetic operation (+, -, ×, ÷).

  • 4
    View Results

    See the significant figure count or properly rounded calculation result.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, leading zeros (e.g., 0.005) are placeholders and are not significant.
Trailing zeros are significant ONLY if there is a decimal point (e.g., 5.00 has 3 sig figs).
The result should have the same number of sig figs as the value with the fewest sig figs.
Exact numbers (like 12 eggs in a dozen) have an infinite number of significant figures and do not limit the precision of the result.
The standard scientific rule is often 'round to even' (2.5 -> 2, 3.5 -> 4) to reduce bias, but school math often uses 'round half up'.
The result is rounded to the same number of decimal places as the measurement with the fewest decimal places.