Chapter 4

Decimals

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 4.2 Rounding Decimals
Objectives

1. Learn the rules for rounding decimals.

2. Round decimals to any given place.

3. Round money amounts to the nearest cent

or nearest dollar.

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Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Slide 4.2- 3
Parallel
Example 1 Rounding a Decimal Number

Round 16.98467 to the nearest thousandth.

Step 1 Draw a “cut off “ line after the

Look only
thousandths place. at the 6.
Ignore the
7.
16. 984 67
Thousandths

Step 2 Look only at the first digit you are cutting off.
Ignore the other digits you are cutting off.

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Parallel
Example 1 Rounding a Decimal Number
continued

Round 16.98467 to the nearest thousandth.

Step 3 If the first digit you are cutting off is 5

or more, round up the part of the
number you are keeping.
First digit cut is more
than 5, so round up by
16. 984 67 adding 1 thousandth
to the part you are
+ 0. 0 0 1 keeping.
16.985
So, 16.98467 rounded to the nearest thousandth is
16.985. We can write 16.98467 ≈ 16.985
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Parallel
Example 2
Rounding Decimals to Different Places

Round 0.8912 to the nearest hundredth.

Step 1 You are cutting off the 1 and 2.
they will be dropped.
0.89 12
Hundredths
Look only at the 1.

Step 2
0.89 12

Step 3 The first digit is 4 or less, so the part

you are keeping stays the same.

0.8912 rounded to the nearest hundredth is 0.89. We

can write 0.8912 ≈ 0.89
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In many everyday situations, such as shopping in
a store, money amounts are rounded to the
nearest cent. There are 100 cents in a dollar.
1
Each cent is of a dollar.
100

1
Another way of writing 100 is 0.01. So rounding
to the nearest cent is the same as rounding to
the nearest hundredth of a dollar.

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Parallel
Example 3 Rounding to the Nearest Cent
How much money will you pay in each
shopping situation? Round each money amount
to the nearest cent.
a. $7.6241 (Is it closer to $7.62 or to $7.63?)
First digit cut is 4 or
less, so the part you
$7.62 41 are keeping stays the
same.
You pay $7.62.
b. $3.649 (Is it closer to $3.64 or to $3.65?)
$3.64 9 $3.64
First digit cut is 5 or
more, so you round up.
+ $0.01
$3.65 You pay.

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Parallel
Example 4 Rounding to the Nearest Dollar
Round to the nearest dollar.
a. $84.59 (Is it closer to $84 or to $85?)
First digit cut is 5 or
$84
more, so you round up.
$84. 59 + 1
So $84.59 rounded to the nearest dollar $85
is $85.

b. $599.79 (Is it closer to $599 or $600?)

$599 So $599.79
$599. 79
+ 1 rounded to the
First digit cut is 5 or $600 nearest dollar is
more, so you round up.
$600.
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