How many significant figures are present in the following numbers?
(I) $161 ext{ cm}$
(II) $0.0161$
(III) $1.

Question

How many significant figures are present in the following numbers?
(I) $161	ext{ cm}$
(II) $0.0161$
(III) $1.61$

Accepted Answer

1.  **Analyze (I) 161 cm:** According to the rule, all non-zero digits are significant. The digits 1, 6, and 1 are all non-zero.
    *   Significant figures = 3 [Class 11 Physics, Ch 1, Sec 1.3, Rule 1].
2.  **Analyze (II) 0.0161:** For a number less than 1, the zero(s) on the right of the decimal point but to the left of the first non-zero digit are not significant. Therefore, the leading zeros are placeholders. The significant digits are 1, 6, and 1.
    *   Significant figures = 3 [Class 11 Physics, Ch 1, Sec 1.3, Rule 3].
3.  **Analyze (III) 1.61:** All non-zero digits are significant. The digits 1, 6, and 1 are significant.
    *   Significant figures = 3 [Class 11 Physics, Ch 1, Sec 1.3, Rule 1].

**Conclusion:** The number of significant figures are 3, 3, and 3 respectively.

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