Limits of Accuracy

What are they?

 Any measurement we make is rounded to

some degree of accuracy or other
 Nearest metre
 Nearest litre
 The degree of rounding gives the possible
values of the measurement before rounding
For example
A lighthouse is 76m 77
tall, measured to
75.5 ≤ Height < 76.5
the nearest metre
76.49999999999999999…..
76.5

Limits of
76 Accuracy

75.5

75
Example 2
A car is 2.6m long, measured
correct to 1 decimal place
The range of values
between the Upper &
Lower Bounds is often
referred to as
the rounding error

2.55 ≤ Length < 2.65

2.50 2.55 2.6

2.60 2.65 2.70
Lower Bound Upper Bound
Problems involving accuracy

 When we calculate an area or a volume, the

errors in the measurements will give an even
larger error

For example, a room is

measured as 6.4 x 4.3 metres,
measured to 1 decimal place.

Calculate the Limits of

Accuracy of the area of the room
6.35m 6.4m 6.45m
4.35m
4.3m
4.25m
MINIMUM AREA

6.35 x 4.25
= 26.9875m2
= 26.99m2 (2 dp)
 Limits of Accuracy
6.35m 6.4m 6.45m 26.99 ≤ Area < 28.06 m2
4.35m
4.3m
4.25m
MAXIMUM AREA

6.45 x 4.35
= 28.0575 m2
= 28.06 m2 (2 dp)
Val is in training for a 400 metre race. He states that he can
run 400 metres in 44 seconds. Both of these measurements
are given to two significant figures. Find his maximum speed.

395 m 400 m 405 m

43.5 s 44 s 44.5 s
Max speed = Greatest distance
Shortest Time
speed = 405
speed = distance
43.5
time
speed = 9.3103… m/s
Max speed is
speed = 9.3 m/s (1 dp) the Greatest distance
in the Shortest Time