Editing Significant figures (section)

=== Addition and subtraction of significant figures ===
For quantities created from measured quantities via '''addition''' and '''subtraction''', the last significant figure position (e.g., hundreds, tens, ones, tenths, hundredths, and so forth) in the calculated result should be the same as the ''leftmost'' or largest digit position among the last significant figures of the ''measured'' quantities in the calculation. For example, 
:* 1.234 + 2 = {{overline|3}}.234 ≈ 3
:* 1.234 + 2.0 = 3.{{overline|2}}34 ≈ 3.2
:* 0.01234 + 2 = {{overline|2}}.01234 ≈ 2
:* 12000 + 77 = 1{{overline|2}}077 ≈ 12000
with the last significant figures in the ''ones'' place, ''tenths'' place, ''ones'' place, and ''thousands'' place respectively. (2 here is assumed not an exact number.) For the first example, the first term has its last significant figure in the thousandths place and the second term has its last significant figure in the ''ones'' place. The leftmost or largest digit position among the last significant figures of these terms is the ones place, so the calculated result should also have its last significant figure in the ones place.

The rule to calculate significant figures for multiplication and division are not the same as the rule for addition and subtraction. For multiplication and division, only the total number of significant figures in each of the factors in the calculation matters; the digit position of the last significant figure in each factor is irrelevant. For addition and subtraction, only the digit position of the last significant figure in each of the terms in the calculation matters; the total number of significant figures in each term is irrelevant.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}  However, greater accuracy will often be obtained if some non-significant digits are maintained in intermediate results which are used in subsequent calculations.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}