How Many Significant Figures Are in 0.010?
0.010= 2 significant figures
Why 0.010 has 2 sig figs
0.010 has two leading zeros (0.0) before the digits 1 and 0. The leading zeros are never significant. The digit 1 is a non-zero digit — always significant. The trailing zero after the decimal (after the 1) is significant because it follows a decimal point. So 0.010 has exactly 2 significant figures: the 1 and the trailing 0.
Rule applied
Leading zeros are never significant (Rule 3). Trailing zeros after a decimal are always significant (Rule 4). See full rule →
Edge case note for 0.010
Compare: 0.01 = 1 sig fig (the trailing zero is absent). 0.010 = 2 sig figs (the trailing zero is explicit). In scientific notation: 1.0 × 10⁻².