If a number has more significant figures after the decimal, what does that indicate?

Having more significant figures after the decimal point indicates a higher precision of the measurement. Significant figures are a way of expressing how reliable a measurement is. When a number has additional decimal places, it signifies that the measurement process has been refined and that greater care has been taken in obtaining the value.

For example, a measurement reported as 12.345 grams suggests that the measurement has been taken to a high degree of precision compared to a value reported as 12.3 grams, which only shows precision to the tenths place. The additional digits reflect more exactness in the measurement, which is crucial in scientific contexts where accuracy is important for calculations and results. This level of detail allows scientists and researchers to communicate how confident they are in the measurement, and it enables better comparability with other measurements.