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Given that sig figs is a poor method, one must decide whether it is
better to err on the side of underestimating the uncertainties or
overestimating the uncertainties. I've tended to err on the side of
underestimating the uncertainties (so I typically add an extra digit
beyond that predicted by the sig fig method) but I'm not sure if that
is the best approach. I'd appreciate further guidance on this.
Why spend so much energy on sig figs in such situations when it is
only approximate anyway?
And, for those situations where the student provides a resolution
that is unreasonable for the situation (i.e., too many digits), I
would tend to just remind them that they are implying a much smaller
uncertainty than is probably valid