3.

1 Approximation
Use of
Approximation
Thousands of people
protesting on the street.
Decimal Place Value
Rounding Off

Worked Example 1
Round off each of the following numbers to the nearest 10.

(a) 275

Solution:
(a) 2 7 5 = 2 8 0

Since 5 or more, add 1 to Put a zero in the ones place

Tens place digit in the tens place
Rounding Off

Worked Example 1
Round off each of the following numbers to the nearest 10.

(a) 275 (b) 273.1

Solution:
(b) 2 7 3 . 1 = 2 7 0

Put a zero in the ones place. Omit all digits after

Since 3 is less than 5, the decimal point
Tens place no change in the digit in the tens place
Practise Now 1

1. Round off 3 409 725 to the nearest

(a) 10, (b) 100, (c) 1000, (d) 10 000.

2. The number of visitors is 11 600 000. This value has been

rounded off to the nearest 100 000. What are the largest and
smallest possible numbers of visitors?
Worked Example 2

Correct 96.482 to (a) 1 decimal place,

Solution:
(a) 9 6 . 4 8 2 = 9 6 . 5

Since 5 or more, add 1 to Do not add any zero

Tenths place digit in the tenths place
Worked Example 2

Correct 96.482 to (a) 1 decimal place,

(b) the nearest whole number.

Solution:
(a) 9 6 . 4 8 2 = 9 6

Since less than 5, the Do not add any zero

ones place digit in the ones place
remains the same.
Practise Now 2

1. Correct 78.4695 to
(a) 1 decimal place, (b) the nearest whole number
(c) the nearest hundredth, (d) the nearest 0.001

2. 8.395 rounded off to 2 decimal places is 8.4 or 8.40?

Explain which is the correct answer.
Worked Example 3
A truck carries 150 ceramic tiles and 225 marble tiles. The mass of a ceramic tile is
1.87 kg and the mass of a marble tile is 4.63 kg. Calculate the total mass of the
tiles carried by the truck, giving your answer correct to the nearest 0.1 kg.
Solution:
Mass of 150 ceramic tiles = 150 x 1.87
= 280.5 kg
Mass of 225 marble tiles = 225 x 4.63
= 1041.75
Total mass = 280.5 + 1041.75
= 1322.25 kg
= 1322.3 kg (to the nearest 0.1 kg)
Practise Now 3

A household uses 450 kWh of electricity and 38 m3 of water

in a month. The cost of electricity is $0.29 per kWh and the
cost of water is $1.17 per m3. Find the total amount of
money the household has to pay in that month, giving your
answer correct to the nearest dollar. [Ans: $175]
Homework

Do Exercise 3A and answer all the questions

in page 63 of your textbook.

Do it in an exercise book.