Question

I have a question about sig figs pertaining to this question.

A laboratory microbalance has two weighing pans, one hanging 10 times further away from the fulcrum than the other. When an unknown mass is placed on the inner pan, the microbalance an measure changes in mass as small as 100 nanograms (1.0 *10^-7 g) and an measure masses up to 2.0 milligrams. What would you expect that the resolution and maximum load for the outer pan might be?

I can answer the question here but the last answer in the book is .20000 milligrams max load. I'm uncertain here how all the trailing zeros here which are significant can be in this answer maybe im doing something wrong please walk me through this easy step please show work and why.

I have 2 milligrams/10= .0002g/10^-3= .2 milligrams not .20000 which the back of the book has please explain should be easy.

Answer 1

0.2 milligrams is same as 0.20000000000000000000000000000000 milligrams.

Lets say you multiply by 1000 in both of them

0.2*100 = 20 milligrams

0.20000000000000000000000*100 = 20.00000000000000 milligrams = 20 milligrams