Teaching Pack – Accuracy and bounds

Lesson 3 – Accuracy and bounds to significant figures

Cambridge IGCSE™
Mathematics 0580

Version 1.0 Copyright © UCLES March 2018

Rounding to significant figures – reminder

Round these numbers to 1 significant figure.

(a) 318 300 (c) 18.3 20 (e) 0.0427 0.04
(b) 2500 3000 (d) 0.381 0.4

Round these numbers to 2 significant figures.

(a) 3751 3800 (c) 4031 4000 (e) 0.05261 0.053
(b) 305 310 (d) 1.362 1.4
Round these numbers to 3 significant figures
(a) 27 035 27 000 (c) 74 837 74 800 (e) 0.0040582 0.00406
(b) 61 750 61 800 (d) 8.6274 8.63
On your mini whiteboard…

500 (1 significant figure).

What is the lower bound? 450

What is the upper bound? 550

500 to 1 significant figure

490 495 500 505 510

On your mini whiteboard…

4000 (1 significant figure)

What is the lower bound? 3500

What is the upper bound? 4500

4000 to 1 significant figure

3000 3500 4000 4500 5000

On your mini whiteboard…

9 (1 significant figure)

What is the lower bound? 8.5

What is the upper bound? 9.5

9 to 1 significant figure

8 8.5 9 9.5 10
On your mini whiteboard…

0.7 (1 significant figure)

What is the lower bound? 0.65

What is the upper bound? 0.75

0.7 to 1 significant figure

0.6 0.65 0.7 0.75 0.8

On your mini whiteboard…

0.04 (1 significant figure)

What is the lower bound? 0.035

What is the upper bound? 0.045

0.04 to 1 significant figure

0.03 0.035 0.04 0.045 0.05

On your mini whiteboard…

460 (2 significant figures)

What is the lower bound? 455

What is the upper bound? 465

460 to 2 significant figures

450 455 460 465 470

On your mini whiteboard…

3.6 (2 significant figures)

What is the lower bound? 3.55

What is the upper bound? 3.65

3.6 to 2 significant figures

3.5 3.55 3.6 3.65 3.7

On your mini whiteboard…

0.49 (2 significant figures)

What is the lower bound? 0.485

What is the upper bound? 0.495

0.49 to 2 significant figures

0.48 0.485 0.49 0.495 0.50

On your mini whiteboard…

3000 (2 significant figures)

What is the lower bound? 2950

What is the upper bound? 3050

3000 to 2 significant figures

2900 2950 3000 3050 3100

On your mini whiteboard…

4960 (3 significant figures)

What is the lower bound? 4955

What is the upper bound? 4965

4960 to 3 significant figures

4950 4955 4960 4965 4970

On your mini whiteboard…

6.58 (3 significant figures)

What is the lower bound? 6.575

What is the upper bound? 6.585

6.58 to 3 significant figures

6.57 6.575 6.58 6.585 6.59

On your mini whiteboard…

0.0403 (3 significant figures)

What is the lower bound? 0.04025

What is the upper bound? 0.04035

0.0403 to 3 significant figures

0.0402 0.04025 0.0403 0.04035 0.0404

On your mini whiteboard…

58 000 (3 significant figures)

What is the lower bound? 57 950

What is the upper bound? 58 050

58 000 to 3 significant figures

57 900 57 950 58 000 58 050 58 100