Guided Questions:
In a numerical value, how do you know which digits are significant and which are not?
Comment on the nature of the last significant digit in any measured value.
When you are given a numerical value that is the result of a measurement, what do the number of significant digits tell you about the precision of the measurement? About its accuracy? (WIKIPEDIA)
What rules are followed in determining the number of significant digits in the answer to a calculation involving measured values?
What is an "exact" number? How does it affect calculations?
In a multi-step calculation, how should significant figures be handled?
How does the course policy on significant figures differ from that of the textbook?
How should you round an numerical result so that it contains the proper number of significant digits? (WIKIPEDIA)

Prompt: describe to the reader the nature of significant figures and the procedures to be used concerning them in this course. Be sure to address the items in the "guiding questions" section,

Scientists must follow rules. And in order to be truthful and accurate scientists follow rules when reporting the number of digits, or significant figures that they use in their measurements so that the measurements don’t look more or less precise than the device they used for the measurement. There are rules concerning significant figures and these rules can vary from class to class and teacher to teacher. But, in general, all non-zero digits are significant, zeros appearing anywhere between two non-zero digits and trailing zeros in a number with a decimal point are significant but leading zeros are not significant. If there are trailing zeros in a number that does not have a decimal point the number can be ambiguous so you should put the number into scientific notation. When you are performing a measurement with a digital device you record the number just as it is shown. If you are using an analog measuring device, first use the most precise tool you can, then the first estimated digit you read is the last significant digit that you record. Therefore, in a measured value the last significant figure is estimated, it is not know for sure, it is an approximation. When recording data with the correct number of significant figures we are being precise, so that if someone else reads the results they will understand and be able to duplicate the results. In calculations that only involved addition and subtraction you would round your answer to that same decimal place as the least precise piece of data involved in the problem. Then in calculations that only involve multiplication and division you round your answer so it has the same number of significant figures as the least precise