Alan, SigFigs are really important if your kids are measuring with the same measurement instruments and you are using calculators to manipulate the measurements. It takes practice and anytime you are using measurement instruments, I always make sure my kids know the precision of the instrument and it's uncertainy. We always talk about why we use sigfigs when measuring. (Allows us to measure the same way using the precision of the instruments we use to measure things. Remember, a calculator doen't know the precision of your measuring instrument) I always do the thing with money to help show sigfigs. They always seem to catch on. I say, " Which would you rather have, $1, or $1.0 or $1.00, or $1.000. They always say, "It doesn't matter." But you and I know it does, so I show them. For the person who says $1, I give them $0.51 cents, and so forth. When they ask about millidollars, I tell them to look at the precision of their gasoline dispenser at their local gas station! Hope this helps. Dan
