Rounding to significant figures calculator

The Rounding to significant figures calculator computes rounding to significant figures from the relation round x to k sig figs. It takes 2 inputs (x, significant figures) and returns the rounded. These calculators suit students and teachers working through the steps of a problem, and analysts, technicians and anyone else who needs an intermediate value before moving on to the next stage of a longer calculation or writing the figure into a report. Enter your values below and the result updates instantly, and you can share a permalink that pre-fills the exact calculation. Enter each value at the full precision you have and round only at the end, because rounding partway through can move the final digits of the answer; where two quantities are compared, put them on the same scale and in the same units first, and keep track of which input goes in which field, since many of these formulas treat their inputs differently and swapping two entries can change the result. For example, with x = 12345, significant figures = 2, the rounded works out to 12000, and the worked example further down the page shows every step so you can follow the arithmetic and reproduce it by hand. This is a standard formula rather than a jurisdiction-specific rule, so it does not depend on an external rate or schedule, and the figure above each result carries the date it was last verified. A result is exact only for inputs inside the operation's defined domain, since a denominator cannot be zero and some functions accept only positive arguments or have no real value outside a limited range; and where the true value does not terminate, as with an irrational root or a repeating decimal, the figure shown is that number rounded to the digits displayed rather than the exact value.

With x = 12345, Significant figures = 2, the result is 12000.

Formula: round x to k sig figs. Source: our documented method, as at 2026-07-09.

Rounded12000

Applies to: any numeric inputs. Method: a standard formula, not a jurisdiction-specific rule. How we document and test our methods, checked 2026-07-09.

The formula

round x to k sig figs

Worked example

With x = 12345, Significant figures = 2:

  1. round to 2 sig figs
  2. Rounded = 12000

This worked example is one of the automated golden-value tests this calculator must pass before it can publish.

What this assumes

  • Inputs are real numbers in the units shown.
  • The result is the exact value of round x to k sig figs; general information, not professional advice.

Frequently asked questions

What formula does this use?

round x to k sig figs. This is a standard formula rather than a jurisdiction-specific rule.

Does the result ever change over time?

No. This is a pure formula with no external rate, so the same inputs always give the same result.

Official sources and verification

Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 2026-07-09. See our methodology. General information, not professional advice.