The concept of real numbers includes all the values that can be represented on a continuous number line. The system began with basic counting values used for enumeration. It later expanded to include values that represent the absence of quantity and opposites of the counting values. When situations required expressing parts of a whole or dividing quantities evenly, values capable of representing such proportions were developed. When written using decimal notation, these values can end or repeat...

In engineering applications, the representation of the numerical value is critical. Presenting or reporting the answer is one of the essential parts of engineering practices. Numerical calculations are performed using handheld calculators or computers since numerically accurate answers are always preferred.
The solution to a problem is obtained using different methods. While manually solving algebraic symbols is one of the most common methods, the graphical method is often preferred. Computers...

In any measurement, the precision of the measuring tool is an essential factor. An ordinary ruler, for example, can measure length to the closest millimeter; a caliper, on the other hand, can measure length to the nearest 0.01 mm. As a result, the caliper is a more precise measurement tool because it can measure extremely minute changes in length. The measurements will be more accurate if the measuring tool is more precise.
It should be emphasized that when we represent measured values, the...

Data that are countable or measurable in specific units are called numerical or quantitative data. Quantitative data are always numbers. Quantitative data are the result of counting or measuring the attributes of a population. Amount of money, pulse rate, weight, number of people living in a town, and number of students who opt for statistics are examples of quantitative data.
Quantitative data may be either discrete or continuous. All quantitative data that take on only specific numerical...

All the digits in a measurement, including the uncertain last digit, are called significant figures or significant digits. Note that zero may be a measured value; for example, if a scale that shows weight to the nearest pound reads “140,” then the 1 (hundreds), 4 (tens), and 0 (ones) are all significant (measured) values.

Uncertainty in measurements can be avoided by reporting the results of a calculation with the correct number of significant figures. This can be determined by the following rules for rounding numbers: