To solve the subtraction
Step 1: Perform the Calculation
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Line up the numbers by their decimal points for easier subtraction:
0.0050 (adding an extra zero for clarity) - 0.0007 ___________
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Perform the subtraction:
Step 2: Identify Significant Digits
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Significant Figures in Each Number:
- 0.005: The significant digits are '5', so it has 1 significant digit.
- 0.0007: The significant digit is '7', so it has 1 significant digit.
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Determining Significant Figures for the Result: When performing subtraction, the result should be reported to the least number of decimal places from the original numbers. Here, both numbers have 3 decimal places (i.e., the digit furthest to the right in the number of meaningful digits).
Step 3: Report the Answer
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Calculator Answer:
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Significant Digits in Answer:
- The result
has 2 significant digits (the '4' and '3').
- The result
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Final Result with Significant Digits:
- Therefore, the answer is:
- Therefore, the answer is:
Summary
- Calculation:
- Significant Digits in the Final Result: 2 significant digits.
- Final Answer:
with 2 significant digits.