Question

based on a set of numbers, how would you determine the most uncertain digit? I it based on which has the most significant figures, or is it based on the least sig figs?

Answer 1

The last digit of a measurement is uncertain digit. For example in 50.29, 5 and 0 are certain and 9 is uncertain.

The leftmost nonzero digit is the first or most significant figure. For example, in the number 0.02340, the first significant figure is the 2.

If there is a decimal point, the rightmost digit is the last or least significant figure. For example, in 0.02340 the first two zeros from the left are not significant but the zero after the 4 is significant.

Therefore we can conclude that the most uncertain digit is based on the least significant figures.