How many significant figures in 0.000060?

Two significant figures.

Zeros at the start are not counted because they only mark the decimal place, so the digits that matter are the six and the trailing zero, which is significant since the number is written with a decimal; a clearer way is to use scientific notation like six point zero times ten to the minus five.

Think of significant figures as the digits that tell you how exact a number is, like the parts that really count in a measurement; the zeros before the first nonzero digit are just place holders and do not count, so in zero point zero zero zero zero six zero the first four zeros only show where the decimal is, the six is the first meaningful digit, and the zero after it is meaningful because the decimal point is shown, so that zero tells you the measurement was precise to that place; scientists often write numbers as six point zero times ten to the minus five to make the meaningful digits very clear and avoid confusion.

A common mistake is counting the leading zeros as significant, which makes numbers seem more precise than they are, so ignore those leading zeros and just count from the first nonzero digit; another mistake is assuming every trailing zero is significant when there is no decimal point, so when a number like six zero zero is written without a decimal you cannot be sure how many significant digits were intended, and the best fix is to use scientific notation to show exactly how many digits are significant.

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Significant Figures in 0.000060

1. Count only meaningful digits
2. Ignore leading zeros
3. First nonzero digit starts count
4. Trailing zero counts if decimal
5. Use scientific notation for clarity

Common Significant Figure Mistakes

1. Counting leading zeros as significant
2. Assuming trailing zeros significant without decimal
3. Not using scientific notation for clarity

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