How to Round Numbers
Determine the place value to which the number is to be rounded., Identify the place value that you will round the number to., Locate the number to the right of the rounding number., Round the rounding digit up one digit if the digit to the right is...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine the place value to which the number is to be rounded.
This can be determined by your teacher if you're working on a math problem, or you can figure it out based on the context and the sets of numbers you're using.
For example when rounding money, you'd most likely want to round to the nearest hundredth, or the nearest cent.
When rounding off a weight, round to the nearest pound.
The less precise number required, the more you can round (to higher place values).
More precise numbers should be rounded to lesser place values. -
Step 2: Identify the place value that you will round the number to.
If you're working with the number
10.7659, let's say you've decided to round the number to the thousandth digit, which is the 5 digit in the thousandths place, the third digit to the right of the decimal point.
You can also think of this as rounding the number to five significant digits.
So, focus on the digit 5 for now. , Just look one digit to the right.
In this case, you'll find a 9 next to the 5 digit.
This number will determine whether you will round the 5 digit up or down. , This is called rounding up because the number you were rounding to becomes greater than the original number.
Your original digit, 5, becomes a
6.
All of the numbers to the left of the original 5 will remain the same, and the numbers to the right of it will disappear (you can think of them as becoming zeroes).
So, if you're rounding the number
10.7659 to the 5 digit, it would be rounded up to a 6, making the number
10.766.
Though 5 is in the middle of the numbers 1-9, it is universally agreed that the digit 5 will require a number before it to be rounded up.
This may not apply to your teachers when they submit final grades, though!, If the number to the right of your rounding place value digit is less than 5, the rounding place value digit will remain the same.
Though this process is called rounding down, it just means that the rounding digit remains the same; you should never actually change a digit to a lower number.
In this case, if you're working with the number
10.7653, you would round it down to
10.765 because the digit 3 to the right of the 5 is on the low end of the scale.
By keeping it the same and changing all numbers to its right to 0, the final rounded number is less than the original beginning number.
Thus, the number, as a whole, goes down.
The above two steps are represented on most desktop calculators as 5/4 rounding.
There is usually a slide-switch you can move to the 5/4 rounding position to achieve these results. -
Step 3: Locate the number to the right of the rounding number.
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Step 4: Round the rounding digit up one digit if the digit to the right is greater than or equal to 5.
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Step 5: Round the rounding digit down if the digit to the right is less than 5.
Detailed Guide
This can be determined by your teacher if you're working on a math problem, or you can figure it out based on the context and the sets of numbers you're using.
For example when rounding money, you'd most likely want to round to the nearest hundredth, or the nearest cent.
When rounding off a weight, round to the nearest pound.
The less precise number required, the more you can round (to higher place values).
More precise numbers should be rounded to lesser place values.
If you're working with the number
10.7659, let's say you've decided to round the number to the thousandth digit, which is the 5 digit in the thousandths place, the third digit to the right of the decimal point.
You can also think of this as rounding the number to five significant digits.
So, focus on the digit 5 for now. , Just look one digit to the right.
In this case, you'll find a 9 next to the 5 digit.
This number will determine whether you will round the 5 digit up or down. , This is called rounding up because the number you were rounding to becomes greater than the original number.
Your original digit, 5, becomes a
6.
All of the numbers to the left of the original 5 will remain the same, and the numbers to the right of it will disappear (you can think of them as becoming zeroes).
So, if you're rounding the number
10.7659 to the 5 digit, it would be rounded up to a 6, making the number
10.766.
Though 5 is in the middle of the numbers 1-9, it is universally agreed that the digit 5 will require a number before it to be rounded up.
This may not apply to your teachers when they submit final grades, though!, If the number to the right of your rounding place value digit is less than 5, the rounding place value digit will remain the same.
Though this process is called rounding down, it just means that the rounding digit remains the same; you should never actually change a digit to a lower number.
In this case, if you're working with the number
10.7653, you would round it down to
10.765 because the digit 3 to the right of the 5 is on the low end of the scale.
By keeping it the same and changing all numbers to its right to 0, the final rounded number is less than the original beginning number.
Thus, the number, as a whole, goes down.
The above two steps are represented on most desktop calculators as 5/4 rounding.
There is usually a slide-switch you can move to the 5/4 rounding position to achieve these results.
About the Author
Denise Mitchell
Denise Mitchell has dedicated 3 years to mastering education and learning. As a content creator, Denise focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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