Significant Figure Calculation in WebAssign

Because textbooks and instructors sometimes use different rules for determining significant figures, WebAssign might calculate the correct number of significant figures in a different way than you are taught in your class.

Regardless of what your instructor or textbook teaches, you must follow the rules listed here to receive credit for answers that are required to be specified to a certain number of significant figures. If your instructor or textbook teaches significant figures differently than these rules, tell your instructor. Your instructor can turn off significant figure checking for assignments.

Operation	Rule	Examples
Addition	Use the fewest number of decimal places specified in any of the operands.	2.46 + 6.1743 = 8.63
Subtraction	Use the fewest number of decimal places specified in any of the operands.	3.1415 - 2.2 = 0.9
Multiplication	Use the fewest number of significant figures specified in any of the operands.	1530 × 4.0 = 6100 1530 × 4 = 6000
Division	Use the fewest number of significant figures specified in any of the operands.	444 ÷ 4 = 100 444 ÷ 111 = 4.00
Exponentiation	Use the same number of significant figures as the base.	2¹⁰ = 1e3 2.000¹⁰ = 1024
Logarithms	Use the same number of decimal places in the result as the number of significant figures in the number you are taking the logarithm of.	log₁₀(27) = 1.43 ln(0.026) = -3.65
Antilogarithms	Use the same number of significant figures in the result as the number of decimal places in the number you are taking the antilogarithm of.	10^3.43 = 2700 e^-3.65 = 0.026