1. The problem is to understand what significant digits (or significant figures) are and how to determine them in a number. 2. Significant digits are the digits in a number that carry meaningful information about its precision. This includes all non-zero digits, any zeros between them, and trailing zeros in the decimal part. 3. Rules for counting significant digits: - All non-zero digits are significant. - Zeros between non-zero digits are significant. - Leading zeros are not significant. - Trailing zeros in a decimal number are significant. 4. Example: The number 0.004560 has 4 significant digits: 4, 5, 6, and the trailing zero. 5. Another example: 1200 has 2 significant digits if no decimal point is shown, but 4 significant digits if written as 1200. with a decimal point. 6. To count significant digits, identify the first non-zero digit and count all digits to the right, including zeros that are between or after non-zero digits in the decimal part. This explanation helps you understand how to identify and count significant digits in any number.