Spreadsheet significant places

The second section of the spreadsheet contains the overall flows, the calculated component flows, and the material balance closure of each. The weighted nonclosure can be calculated using the random error calculated above, and a constraint test can be done with each component constraint if desired. Whether the measurement test is done or not, the nonclosure of the material balance for each component gives an indication of the validity of the overall flows and the compositions. If particiilar components are found to have significant constraint error, discussions with laboratory personnel about sampling and analysis and with instrument personnel about flow-measurement errors can take place before any extensive computations begin. 

A spreadsheet does not know how many figures are significant. You can choose how many decimal places are displayed to be consistent with the number of significant figures associated with a cell or column. 

If you had to, you could reproduce the calculations prior to the equivalence point in Table 10-1 in the same way as the 3.00-mL point. (A spreadsheet would be helpful.) The volume of acid added is designated and pH is expressed to the 0.01 decimal place, regardless of what is justified by significant figures. We do this for the sake of consistency and also because 0.01 is near the limit of accuracy in pH measurements. 

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