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Significant figures

Table 1 Whether a zero is a significant figure depends where it appears within a number. Each of those underlined does not count as a significant figure

If you are studying history, you might say that Mahatma Gandhi was a significant figure in the campaign for Indian independence from British rule. In your study of biology, however, the term significant figure has a completely different meaning. It relates to the digits within a number. Your ability to use an appropriate number of significant figures is one of the mathematical skills tested in biology examinations.

Within any number, the digits 1 to 9 are always significant figures. The problems arise when zeros are involved. Table 1 summarises whether zeros count as significant figures, depending on where they appear within a number.

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Roulette wheels, genetics and the χ2 goodness-of-fit test

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