What’s the importance of significant figures?

I assume you are talking about math. If so check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Significant_digit.

I think you are speaking about science?

Well the significant figures helps give you a more precise answer. Now don’t confuse precise with accurate. Precise means “more detailed”- the more numbers the more precise. Ex. 1.206 is more precise than 1.2

Accuracy is how close your answer is to the theorhetical answer(the “right” answer)

It is also important that you know the sig fig rules. You can’t just round off at any old number because that will mess up your precision which in turn may cause your accuracy to become distorted.

I hope this helps. And if you need to know HOW to do sig figs, just email and I’ll help you out.

The importance of significant figures is appreciated within the context of recording and reporting of measurements. Measurements which include linear measurements (length, width, height), temperature, volume, etc. The number of significant figures in a number (representing a measurement) is indicative of the precision of the measurement made. In effect, the more significant figures there are in a measurement, the more precise the measurement is.

significant figures, or digits, determine how precise a certain measuring device is; for example, in a graduated cylinder, up to what nearest place value can it measure? 1 mL, 0.1 mL, … etc.