To round the number 0.000231 to 2 significant figures, follow these steps:
1. Identify the significant figures: Significant figures are the non-zero digits in a number, starting from the first non-zero digit. In the number 0.000231, the significant figures are 2, 3, and 1, because we ignore the leading zeros.
2. Locate the first two significant figures: The first two significant figures in 0.000231 are 2 and 3.
3. Round the number: Look at the digit immediately following the second significant figure to determine whether to round up or down. In 0.000231, the third digit is 1.
- If the third digit is 5 or greater, you round up.
- If the third digit is less than 5, you round down.
Since the third digit (1) is less than 5, we round down.
4. Construct the rounded number: After rounding down, the number with 2 significant figures remains 0.00023.
So, the number 0.000231 rounded to 2 significant figures is [tex]\(0.00023\)[/tex].
