The coefficient carries the precision
In 3.76 × 10^4, the coefficient 3.76 has three significant figures. The exponent only moves the decimal point.
Scientific notation
Scientific Notation and Significant Figures
Scientific notation is often the cleanest way to make significant figures explicit.
Use the calculatorUse notation to remove ambiguity
The value 100 is ambiguous. Writing 1 × 10^2, 1.0 × 10^2, or 1.00 × 10^2 makes one, two, or three significant figures explicit.
Small values become easier to read
0.00450 can be written as 4.50 × 10^-3. The coefficient 4.50 clearly shows three significant figures.