New Progress in Junior Mathematics 2A (Second Edition)

Approximation and Errors

Chapter 5 Approximation and Errors

5.1 Significant Figures

5.2 Scientific Notation
5.3 Errors

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New Progress in Junior Mathematics 2A (Second Edition)
Approximation and Errors

5.1

Name: _________________________ Class: __________________( )

Significant Figures (Refer to Book 2A Chapter 5 pp.5.5  5.9.)

1. Write down the most significant figure in each of the following numbers.
(a) 823 _______
(b) 10 688 _______
(c) 0.028 66 _______

2. Write down the number of significant figures in each of the following numbers.
(a) 1546 _______
(b) 203 _______
(c) 92.6 _______
(d) 4.002 _______
(e) 0.003 40 _______

3. Round off 52 841 correct to

(a) 1 significant figure, (b) 2 significant figures, (c) 3 significant figures.

4. Round off 1.0378 correct to

(a) 2 significant figures, (b) 3 significant figures, (c) 4 significant figures.

5. Round off 0.075 972 correct to

(a) 1 significant figure, (b) 2 significant figures, (c) 3 significant figures.

6. Round off each of the following figures correct to 2 significant figures.

(a) 835 m (b) 20 435 cm2
(c) 1.762 g (d) 0.027 89 km

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New Progress in Junior Mathematics 2A (Second Edition)
Approximation and Errors

7. Express the following fractions in decimals correct to 3 significant figures.

(a) (b)

8. The area of a garden is 4072 m2. Round off the figure correct to 3 significant figures.

9. Jason finishes a 100-m race in 13.06 s. Round off the figure correct to 2 significant figures.

10. Consider the number 93 618.

(a) Round off the number correct to 2 significant figures.

(b) Find the difference between the estimated value and the actual value.

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New Progress in Junior Mathematics 2A (Second Edition)
Approximation and Errors

5.2

Name: _________________________ Class: __________________( )

Scientific Notation (Refer to Book 2A Chapter 5 pp.5.12  5.16.)

Useful Tips

A positive number is expressed in scientific notation if it is in  A negative number can

also be expressed in
the form , where 1  a < 10, and n is an integer. scientific notation.

1. Which of the following numbers are expressed in scientific notation? Put a ‘’ in the correct
box.
(a)  (b)  (c) 
(d)  (e)  (f) 
(g)  (h)  (i) 

2. Express each of the following numbers in scientific notation.

(a) 51 200 (b) 0.0045 (c) 140 000

3. Convert each of the following numbers into an integer or a decimal.

(a) (b) (c)

4. Simplify the following expressions.

(a) (b) (c)
Solution:

=
=

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New Progress in Junior Mathematics 2A (Second Edition)
Approximation and Errors

5. Express each of the following numbers in scientific notation.

(a) (b) (c)

6. Without using a calculator, evaluate each of the following expressions. Express the answers
in scientific notation.
(a) (b)
Solution:

=
=

(c) (d)
Solution:

= 1.2  5  ____  ____

=

7. Without using a calculator, evaluate each of the following expressions. Express the answers
in scientific notation.
(a) (b)
Solution:

=  Rewrite all numbers

with the same
= power of 10.

8. The speed of the light is 299 792 458 m/s. Round off the figure correct to 2 significant
figures. Express the answer in scientific notation.

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New Progress in Junior Mathematics 2A (Second Edition)
Approximation and Errors

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New Progress in Junior Mathematics 2A (Second Edition)
Approximation and Errors

5.3

Name: _________________________ Class: __________________( )

Errors (Refer to Book 2A Chapter 5 pp.5.19  5.28.)

Useful Tips

1. (a) If the actual value is larger than a measured value, then:

Absolute error = Actual value  Measured value
(b) If a measured value is larger than the actual value, then:
Absolute error = Measured value  Actual value
2. (a) Maximum absolute error = Scale interval of the measuring tool

(b) Lower limit = Measured value  Maximum absolute error

(c) Upper limit = Measured value  Maximum absolute error
3. (a) Relative error =

(b) Relative error =

4. Percentage error = Relative error  100%

In this exercise, unless otherwise specified, answers should be correct to 3 significant figures if
necessary.

1. Determine whether each of the following statements about the measurement as shown in the
figure is true or false. Put a ‘’ in the appropriate box.
True False
(a) The absolute error is 25 mL.  
(b) The upper limit of the actual volume of
the liquid is (250 + 50) mL.  
(c) The relative error is .  

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Approximation and Errors

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New Progress in Junior Mathematics 2A (Second Edition)
Approximation and Errors

2. Complete the following table.

Actual value Measured value Absolute error
(a) 524 cm 500 cm
(b) 10.823 s 10.83 s
(c) 0.0774 m2 0.08 m2

3. Ricky estimated that the width of a room is 5.8 m. However, the actual width of the room is
4.9 m. Find the absolute error of Ricky’s estimation.
Solution:
Absolute error = ( ________  _________ ) m
= _____________ m

4. The weight of a mango is 0.728 kg.

(a) Round off the weight correct to 2 significant figures.
(b) Find the absolute error of the result in (a).

5. Find the maximum absolute error of a measurement made by each of the following
measuring tools.
(a) A mechanical scale with scale interval 10 g
(b) A ruler with scale interval 50 mm
(c) A stopwatch with scale interval 0.1 s
Solution:
(a) Maximum absolute error = ______ g = _______ g

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Approximation and Errors

6. Find the maximum absolute error of each of the following measurements.

(a) The length of a rail is 160 km, correct to the nearest 10 km.
(b) The weight of a melon is 0.48 kg, correct to the nearest 0.01 kg.
(c) The height of a pole is 1200 cm, correct to the nearest cm.
(d) The capacity of a container is 3.52 L, correct to 3 significant figures.

7. The height of a mountain is measured to be 1800 m, correct to the nearest 100 m.

(a) Find the maximum absolute error of the measurement.
(b) Find the lower limit and upper limit of the actual height of the mountain.
Solution:
(a) Maximum absolute error =

(b) Lower limit of the actual height = ( ________  _________ ) m

= _____________ m
Upper limit of the actual height =

8. Complete the following table.

Measured value Maximum absolute error Relative error
(a) 4L 0.5 L
(b) 750 cm 10 cm

9. The weight of a tiger is measured to be 340 kg, correct to 2 significant figures. Find
(a) the maximum absolute error,
(b) the relative error,
of the measured weight.
Solution:
(a) Maximum absolute error =

(b) Relative error =

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Approximation and Errors

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New Progress in Junior Mathematics 2A (Second Edition)
Approximation and Errors

10. The width of a road is measured to be 120 m. If the actual width is 116 m, find
(a) the absolute error,
(b) the relative error,
of the measured width.

11. The time taken to cook a pizza is measured to be 8.2 min, correct to the nearest 0.1 minute.
Find
(a) the maximum absolute error,
(b) the percentage error,
of the measured time.
Solution:
(a) Maximum absolute error =

(b) Percentage error =

12. The population of a city is estimated to be 460 000. If the actual population is 457 500, find
(a) the absolute error,
(b) the percentage error,
of the estimated population.

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