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NCERT Exemplar · Q40

Q.Assertion (A): Significant figures for 0.200 is 3 where as for 200 it is 1.
Reason (R): Zero at the end or right of a number are significant provided they are not on the right side of the decimal point.
Choose the correct option out of the choices given below.

(i) Both A and R are true and R is correct explanation of A.
(ii) Both A and R are true but R is not a correct explanation of A.
(iii) A is true but R is false.
(iv) Both A and R are false.
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The Assertion correctly applies significant figure rules: 0.200 has 3 significant figures, and 200 has 1. However, the Reason incorrectly states the rule for trailing zeros, making it false.

Understanding significant figures is crucial in science and engineering because they convey the precision of a measurement. When we write a number, the significant figures tell us which digits are known with certainty and which one is estimated. Zeros often cause confusion, so let's clarify their role.

The general rules for determining significant figures are:

  1. Non-zero digits are always significant. (e.g., 123 has 3 sig figs).
  2. Zeros between non-zero digits (confined zeros) are significant. (e.g., 101 has 3 sig figs, 1.002 has 4 sig figs).
  3. Leading zeros (zeros before non-zero digits) are not significant. They only indicate the position of the decimal point. (e.g., 0.0025 has 2 sig figs).
  4. Trailing zeros (zeros at the end of a number):
    • If the number contains a decimal point, trailing zeros are significant. (e.g., 2.00 has 3 sig figs, 0.200 has 3 sig figs, 20.0 has 3 sig figs). This indicates that these zeros were measured or are known to be zero.
    • If the number does not contain a decimal point, trailing zeros are generally not significant. They are placeholders. (e.g., 200 has 1 sig fig, 2000 has 1 sig fig). To make them significant, one would typically write the number in scientific notation (e.g., 2.00×1022.00 \times 10^2 for 3 sig figs) or add a decimal point (e.g., 200. for 3 sig figs).

Let's apply these rules to evaluate the given Assertion and Reason.

  1. Analyze Assertion (A): Significant figures for 0.2000.200 is 33 where as for 200200 it is 11.

    • For 0.2000.200:
      • The leading zero before the decimal point (0.) is not significant.
      • The digit 2 is a non-zero digit, so it is significant.
      • The two trailing zeros (00) are to the right of the decimal point. According to rule 4a, trailing zeros with a decimal point are significant.
      • Therefore, 0.2000.200 has 11 (from 2) +2+ 2 (from 00) =3 significant figures= \textbf{3 significant figures}.
    • For 200200:
      • The digit 2 is a non-zero digit, so it is significant.
      • The two trailing zeros (00) are at the end of the number, but there is no decimal point explicitly shown. According to rule 4b, these trailing zeros are generally not significant. They are placeholders.
      • Therefore, 200200 has 1 significant figure\textbf{1 significant figure}.
    • Since both parts of the statement are correct, Assertion (A) is True.
  2. Analyze Reason (R): Zero at the end or right of a number are significant provided they are not on the right side of the decimal point. …

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