Find the number of significant figures in the value 0.003040.
A3
B4CORRECT
C5
D6
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Why the answer is B, and why the others tempt you.
In 0.003040, the leading zeros (0.00) are not significant. The digits 3, 0, 4, and the trailing zero after 4 are all significant, giving 4 significant figures. The trailing zero after the decimal point is significant because it indicates precision, but the leading zeros before 3 are merely placeholders.
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