Numbers can be rounded to significant figures. Numbers which are significant are usually non-zero numbers. Zeros can become significant however under two conditions.
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Numbers which are significant are by and large any number which is not zero.
Zeros are usually said to be not significant, apart from two conditions:
For example:
8300 has 2 significant figures
8030 has 3 significant figures
803 has 3 significant figures
80.3 has 3 significant figures
8.03 has 3 significant figures
0.803 has 3 significant figures
803.0 has 4 significant figures
0.8030 has 4 significant figures
Round 5246 to 2 significant figures.
The first two significant figures are 5 and 2. As the next digit is 4 the 2 stays as it is.
Therefore 5246 rounds to 5200 to 2 significant figures. (Notice that we must put in zeros to keep the number starting with five thousand.)