# Significant figures

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significant-figures/578629>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 16, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significant-figures/578629 "2011-04-16T17:49:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significant-figures/578629/41 "2011-04-26T03:36:42Z")

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> [@md2000](#):
>
> What instrument can truly measure to 6 or 10 digits of accuracy?

To be fair, 6 digits of precision isn’t that hard on a proper laboratory balance. I personally have to verify a number of lab balances every month with a very precise mass standard, and they almost always get six figures of precision for 0-5000 g +/- 0.01 g without need for calibration.

This is in industry. I’d expect that academia has better precision.

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