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[Phys-L] Re: fall cleanup: sig figs

And it is silly to penalize students for reporting results with one or
two insignificant digits.

Indeed ... call them "guard digits" and encourage them.

Guard digits are your friends.

I appreciate your thoughts and have fought against the way sig figs have
been taught for years but I am confused by your previous statement. How can
digits that carry no significance (meaning I have no idea what the real
value in that place should be) guard anything?