The most significant digit is the leftmost nonzero digit in a nonzero number written in base ten. It occupies the highest-value place among the number’s digits. In 0.008020, for example, it is 8; in 70.607, it is 7.
What is the most significant digit?
It is the single digit with the greatest place value in a nonzero number. To find it, scan the written number from left to right and stop at the first digit that is not zero. This works for whole numbers and decimals: the decimal point changes the place values, but not the rule.
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For example, in 1267, the first nonzero digit is 1, in the thousands place. In 0.063, it is 6. The zeros before the 6 are leading zeros: they locate the decimal point but do not take the place of the first nonzero digit. See OpenStax’s explanation of significant figures and measurement.
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- Read the digits from left to right.
- Ignore any zeros before the first nonzero digit.
- The first nonzero digit you reach is the most significant digit.
For 0.008020, skip the zeros before 8: the most significant digit is 8. For 70.607, it is 7 in the tens place. The later digits do not change which digit has the highest place value.
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Most significant digit vs. significant figures
These terms answer different questions. The most significant digit is one digit—the leftmost nonzero one. Significant figures are the digits used to report a measured value and communicate its precision. Their count generally starts at the first nonzero digit and continues to the right according to the notation and measurement context.
Under the usual measurement convention, 0.008020 has five significant figures: 8, the zero between 8 and 2, 2, and the two final digits 0 and 0. The first three zeros are leading placeholders and are not counted. For guidance on counting, see Monash University’s guide to scientific notation and significant figures.
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What about trailing zeros in a number such as 1000?
The most significant digit in 1000 is 1. But the written integer alone may not reveal whether the trailing zeros are simply placeholders or indicate measured precision, so it may be unclear how many significant figures were intended.
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Does zero have a most significant digit?
The ordinary rule identifies the first nonzero digit, so it does not designate a most significant digit for the number 0, which contains no nonzero digit. The instructional sources cited here do not specify a separate convention for zero.
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