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Rounding Lesson Notes Expanded

The document provides guidelines on rounding numbers, focusing on three main methods: rounding to decimal places, rounding to place value, and rounding to significant figures. It includes examples for each method, illustrating how to round integers and decimals while highlighting the importance of context in determining significant figures. Key distinctions between these methods are also emphasized to aid in understanding their applications.

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18 views2 pages

Rounding Lesson Notes Expanded

The document provides guidelines on rounding numbers, focusing on three main methods: rounding to decimal places, rounding to place value, and rounding to significant figures. It includes examples for each method, illustrating how to round integers and decimals while highlighting the importance of context in determining significant figures. Key distinctions between these methods are also emphasized to aid in understanding their applications.

Uploaded by

Nour el houda Chiheb
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Rounding Numbers – Academic Notes (Expanded)

When rounding, it is important to know what you are rounding to:


- Decimal places (dp)
- Place value (nearest 10, 100, 1000, tenths, hundredths, etc.)
- Significant figures (s.f.)

1. Rounding to Decimal Places (dp)


- Decimal places refer to the number of digits after the decimal point.
- The rounding digit is the last digit kept; the digit after it decides whether we round up or keep the
same.

Example: Round 23.678


- To 1 dp → 23.7
- To 2 dp → 23.68
- To 3 dp → 23.678

2. Rounding to a Place Value


- Place value refers to the position of a digit (ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, and also tenths,
hundredths, thousandths).
- When rounding to a place value, digits after the chosen place are removed or adjusted.

Example A: Integers – Round 12,345


- Nearest 10 → 12,350
- Nearest 100 → 12,300
- Nearest 1,000 → 12,000
- Nearest 10,000 → 10,000

Example B: Decimals – Round 56.237


- Nearest unit (ones) → 56
- Nearest tenth → 56.2
- Nearest hundredth → 56.24
- Nearest thousandth → 56.237

3. Rounding to Significant Figures (s.f.)


- Significant figures count the important digits in a number, beginning with the first non-zero digit.
- They are useful when dealing with accuracy in measurements and scientific data.

Rules for Significant Figures:


1. All non-zero digits are significant (e.g., 345 has 3 s.f.).
2. Zeros between non-zero digits are significant (e.g., 1002 has 4 s.f.).
3. Leading zeros (before the first non-zero digit) are not significant (e.g., 0.0045 has 2 s.f.).
4. Trailing zeros in a number with a decimal point are significant (e.g., 2.300 has 4 s.f.).
5. Trailing zeros in a whole number without a decimal point may or may not be significant,
depending on context (e.g., 12,000 could have 2, 3, or 5 s.f.).

Example A: Integers – Round 12,345


- 1 s.f. → 10,000
- 2 s.f. → 12,000
- 3 s.f. → 12,300
- 4 s.f. → 12,350
- 5 s.f. → 12,345

Example B: Decimals – Round 0.004562


- 1 s.f. → 0.005
- 2 s.f. → 0.0046
- 3 s.f. → 0.00456
- 4 s.f. → 0.004562

Key Distinctions
- Decimal places → control the number of digits after the decimal point.
- Place value → round to a specific position (tens, hundreds, tenths, hundredths, etc.).
- Significant figures → keep a chosen number of meaningful digits based on accuracy and
context.

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