MEP Y7 Practice Book A

2 Arithmetic: Place Value

This unit concentrates on place value, both for whole numbers and for decimals,
and revises the important techniques of rounding numbers to a given accuracy.

2.1 Place Value and Rounding

First note how we write and speak numbers.

6444474444
8 6444474444
8
Hundreds Tens Units Hundreds Tens Units Hundreds Tens Units
of Millions of Thousands

5 7 2 6 4 1 8 3 9

We say
"Five hundred and seventy two million, six hundred and forty one thousand,
eight hundred and thirty nine."

7451 is 7450 to the nearest 10, since it is nearer to 7450 than to 7460
(see the number line below).

7450 7455 7460

7451

7451 is 7500 to the nearest 100, since it is nearer to 7500 than to 7400.

7451 is 7000 to the nearest 1000, since it is nearer to 7000 than to 8000.

Note
The convention is that '5' rounds up to the nearest 10,
e.g. 35 to the nearest 10 is 40.

Example 1
Write 2716 to the nearest
(a) 10 (b) 100 (c) 1000

Solution
(a) 2720 (b) 2700 (c) 3000

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 MEP Y7 Practice Book A
2.1

Example 2
What is the value of the '6' in each of these numbers?
(a) 167 (b) 2006 (c) 6423

Solution
(a) '6' means 6 tens = 60
(b) '6' means 6 units = 6
(c) '6' means 6 thousands = 6000

Exercises
1. Write each of these numbers to the nearest 10.
(a) 89 (b) 45 (c) 72
(d) 12 (e) 9 (f) 2
(g) 4713 (h) 5629 (i) 4755

2. Write each of these numbers to the nearest 100.

(a) 376 (b) 1417 (c) 24 699
(d) 101 (e) 149 (f) 251

3. Write each of these numbers to the nearest 1000.

(a) 1001 (b) 2500 (c) 3999
(d) 132 400 (e) 56 471 (f) 555 511

4. A milkman delivered 109 865 bottles of milk in one year.

Write the number of bottles to:
(a) the nearest 100,
(b) the nearest 1000,
(c) the nearest 10,
(d) the nearest 10 000.

5. A school has 1256 pupils. Write this number to:

(a) the nearest 10,
(b) the nearest 100,
(c) the nearest 1000.

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 MEP Y7 Practice Book A

6. Explain what the '9' represents in each of these numbers.

(a) 19 (b) 91 (c) 190
(d) 1971 (e) 19 800 (f) 2190
(g) 9 100 001 (h) 9 001 111 (i) 900 371 423

7. Write these numbers in words.

(a) 32 (b) 14 (c) 86
(d) 124 (e) 328 (f) 1463
(g) 3 000 000 (h) 4 713 000 (i) 3 991 001

8. Write each of the following in figures.

(a) Twenty four
(b) Eighty six
(c) Nineteen
(d) One hundred and twenty
(e) Three hundred and four
(f) One thousand and twenty six
(g) Three million, four hundred thousand
(h) One thousand and five

9. For each statement below, explain whether it is likely to be true or false.

(a) The average shoe size in your class is size 6.
(b) The average length of a car is 10 metres.
(c) The average height of an adult is 176 cm.
(d) The number of matches in a matchbox is 50.
(e) The average height of children in a class of Year 7 pupils is 138 cm.
(f) John counted 12 people on his bus this morning.
(g) Sarah saw 120 people get onto her bus on her way to school.

10. Place the numbers below in order, with the smallest first.
(a) 147, 222, 316, 47, 32, 1004.
(b) 1472, 3416, 621, 3813, 1471, 15 721.
(c) 6000, 60 000, 3000, 30 000, 4 000 000.

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2.1 MEP Y7 Practice Book A

11. (a) What is the largest possible number you can make using each of these
digits once only: 4, 6, 3, 2 and 8 ?
(b) What is the smallest number you can make using all the digits in (a)?
(c) What do you notice about the order of the digits in your answers to
(a) and (b)?
(d) How do your answers change if you can use 0 as well?

12. You are given the number 1735. You are allowed to swap the positions of
any two digits.

For example, 1 7 3 5 gives 1 3 7 5

or, 1 7 3 5 gives 5 7 3 1

(a) Explain how to make the largest possible number using one swap.
(b) Explain how to make the smallest possible number with one swap.

13. Ramesh says that there are 120 pupils in his year at school. If he has
rounded the number of pupils in his year to the nearest 10, how many
pupils could there be in his school year? (Write all the possible answers.)

14. A newspaper report states that 42 000 people watched a football match at
Wembley. The actual number has been rounded to the nearest 1000.
(a) What is the largest possible number of people that watched the
match?
(b) What is the smallest possible number of people that watched the
match?

15. The table gives the results and attendances for some football matches.
Answer these questions using the table.
(a) Which match had the BLACKBURN 1 ARSENAL 4
28,212
largest attendance?
DERBY 4 BOLTON 0
(b) Find the total attendance 29,126

at all the matches to the LIVERPOOL 2 CRYSTAL PALACE 1

43,007
nearest 1000. NEWCASTLE 2 BARNSLEY 1
36,534
(c) How many more people
SHEFFIELD WED 1 WEST HAM 1
watched Newcastle than 28,036
watched Wimbledon, to TOTTENHAM 1 COVENTRY 1
33,463
the nearest 100?
WIMBLEDON 0 EVERTON 0
15,131

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 MEP Y7 Practice Book A

2.2 Decimals and Place Value

Note that the number
1.743
means
1 unit 7 tenths 4 hundredths 3 thousandths

Example 1
Write these numbers in order, smallest first.
0.5, 0.95, 0.905, 0.59, 0.509, 0.6, 0.9

Solution
0.5, 0.509, 0.59, 0.6, 0.9, 0.905, 0.95

Example 2
Write 8.4751 correct to (a) 3 decimal places,
(b) 2 decimal places,
(c) 1 decimal place.

Solution
(a) 8.475, since 8.4751 is nearer to 8.475 than to 8.476.
(b) 8.48, since 8.4751 is nearer to 8.48 than to 8.47.
(c) 8.5, since 8.4751 is nearer to 8.5 than to 8.4.

Exercises
1. What is the value of the '5' in each of these numbers?
(a) 0.45 (b) 0.54 (c) 5.74
(d) 3.415 (e) 4.258 (f) 3.502

2. Write the numbers in order, smallest first.

0.85, 0.9, 0.8, 0.58, 0.6, 0.5, 0.87

3. Write each of these numbers correct to 1 decimal place.

(a) 1.47 (b) 3.68 (c) 0.45
(d) 3.751 (e) 4.08 (f) 5.005

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 MEP Y7 Practice Book A
2.2

4. Write each of these numbers correct to 2 decimal places.

(a) 3.444 (b) 8.555 (c) 0.321
(d) 4.7612 (e) 0.3002 (f) 4.1050

5. Sally is given a number correct to 3 decimal places. She writes it to

2 decimal places as 4.71.
Write down a list of the numbers she could have been given.

6. Write these numbers in figures.

(a) Four and six tenths
(b) Five and four hundredths
(c) Sixteen, three tenths and four hundredths
(d) One hundred and five hundredths
(e) One thousand and twenty six and five thousandths

7. Write these numbers in words.

(a) 5.7 (b) 5.006 (c) 3.02

8. What is the difference between four tenths and forty hundredths? Explain
your answer.

9. Write these numbers in order, largest first.

0.7, 0.2991, 1.05, 1.508, 0.58, 2.4

10. You are given the digits 3, 4, 0, 7 and a decimal point. Using each
number only once, what is
(a) the largest number you can make,
(b) the smallest number you can make?

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MEP: Demonstration Project Y7A, Unit 2

UNIT 2 Arithmetic: Place Value Activities

Activities

2.1 Rounding
2.2 Place Value
2.3 Approximation to Given Number of Decimal Places
2.4 Place Value with Decimals
2.5 Ordering Decimals
Notes and Solutions

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MEP: Demonstration Project Y7A, Unit 2

ACTIVITY 2.1 Rounding

Here we introduce the concept of rounding and see how it is used in practical contexts.

1. The attendance of the Arsenal v. Manchester United Charity Shield football match
(1995) was quoted in newspapers in the following way.

Newspaper Number of Spectators

Times 68 800
Telegraph 68 770
Daily Mail 69 000
Sun 70 000

(a) Can they all be correct if they have given the number correct to a certain
number of decimal places?
(b) What are the possible actual attendance figures?

2. The number of people at a pop concert was given as 350 000 to the nearest 50 000.
What is the
(a) minimum possible number of people attending;
(b) maximum possible number of people attending?

Extension
The number of complaints received by a train operating company one year was quoted
as 5500 (to the nearest 100). The next year it was quoted as 5000 (to the nearest
1000). The train company publicly announced "improved services have led to a real
reduction in complaints".
Are they justified in their statement?

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MEP: Demonstration Project Y7A, Unit 2

ACTIVITY 2.2 Place Value

This is best done as a whole class activity with individual pupils taking each (large) digit
card and moving themselves into the appropriate places - with the help of the class (and the
teacher).

1. Using the digits

1 3 6 7 9
only once each time, find
(a) the largest number that can be made
(b) the smallest number that can be made
when you use (i) 3 cards (ii) 4 cards (iii) all 5 cards.

2. Repeat the first problem using the digits;

0 4 5 5 6
3. Repeat the problem again now using the digits;

0 0 2 3 4

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MEP: Demonstration Project Y7A, Unit 2

ACTIVITY 2.3 Approximating to Given Number of Decimal Places

Here we show how numbers given to a certain number of decimal places, are used in
context.

1. Four students got the following results from a measurement in a science experiment:
Ben 4.754
Sergier 4.8
Adam 4.75
Chris 4.755
(a) Can they all be correct?
(b) What are the possible values of the measurements if given to an accuracy of 5
decimal places?

2. The height of a pupil was given as 123.4 cm to the nearest mm.

What is the
(a) minimum possible value for the height of the pupil;
(b) maximum possible value for the height of the pupil?

Extension
A student suggested that an easy way to give a number to a given number of decimal
places was to do it stage by stage.
For example, to calculate 4.3412 to one decimal place, you work it out in the
following way

4.2412 
→ 4.341  → 4.34  → 4.3
(to 3.d.p.) (to 2.d.p.) (1 d.p.)

Will this method always give the correct answer?

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MEP: Demonstration Project Y7A, Unit 2

ACTIVITY 2.4 Place Value with Decimals

This is best done as a whole class activity with individual pupils taking each (large) digit
card and moving themselves into the appropriate places - with the help of the class (and the
teacher).

1. Using the digits

1 3 6 7 9 .
only once each, find
(a) the largest number that can be made
(b) the smallest number that can be made

when you use the decimal point . with

(i) 3 more cards (ii) 4 more cards (iii) 5 more cards

2. Repeat the first problem using the digits

0 4 5 5 6 .
3. Repeat the problem again now using the digits

0 0 2 3 4 .
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MEP: Demonstration Project Y7A, Unit 2

ACTIVITY 2.5 Ordering Decimals

This is best done as a whole class activity with individual pupils taking each (large) digit
card and moving themselves into the appropriate places - with the help of the class (and the
teacher).

1. Put these numbers in order, with the smallest first

0.5 0.99 0.905 0.59 0.509 0.9

2. Repeat the same procedure with

0.18 0.089 0.101 0.81 0.019 0.809

3. Merge the two sets of numbers together to form one set of numbers, in increasing order.

Extension
Get each member of the class to write a two or three decimal number (starting
with 0. ) on a sheet of A4. Collect all these in and organise the class into groups
of equal size, say 7, 8, 9 or 10.
Give out all the numbers (face down) to each pupil, and see how fast each group can
get these sets of numbers into the correct increasing order.

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MEP: Demonstration Project Y7A, Unit 2

ACTIVITIES 2.1 - 2.3 Notes and Solutions

Notes and solutions are only given where appropriate.

2.1 This has been written as a teacher led activity to encourage discussion and to bring
out the problems concerning rounding.

1. (a) Yes they can, if each is given to the nearest 100, 10, 1000, 10 000
respectively.
(b) 68 765 to 68 774 are all possible.
2. (a) 325 000 (b) 374 999 (as 375 000 would round up to 380 000)

Extension - The comment is not necessarily justified

Year 1 - actual number of complaints are in the range 5450 to 5549
Year 2 - actual number of complaints are in the range 4500 to 5499
So, for example, Year 1: 5475
Year 2: 5490
are compatible with these ranges and these show an increase!

2.2 Whilst these could be used as an individual (or group) worksheet it gives an
opportunity for the class to work together (or if appropriate, in teams). For the whole
class approach you will need large digit cards.
1. (a) (i) 976 (ii) 9763 (ii) 97631
(b) (i) 136 (ii) 1367 (iii) 13679
2. (a) (i) 655 (ii) 6554 (iii) 65540
(b) (i) 405 (ii) 4055 (iii) 40556
(N.B. you cannot start a whole number with 0)
3. (a) (i) 432 (ii) 4320 (iii) 43200
(b) (i) 200 (ii) 2003 (iii) 20034

2.3 This is again intended as a teacher led discussion for all questions here.
1. (a) Yes (b) 4.75445 to 4.75454
2. (a) 123.35 (b) 123.44 (actually 123.44999...)

Extension - It does not work; e.g. 4.3476  → 4.348  → 4.35  → 4.4

(to 3.d.p.) (to 2.d.p.) (1 d.p.)
but 4.3475 is closer to 4.3 than 4.4.

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MEP: Demonstration Project Y7A, Unit 2

ACTIVITIES 2.4 - 2.5 Notes and Solutions

2.4 A with A 2.2, this is intended as a whole class very interactive activity. You must be
very careful with the 0's (in Q2 and Q3) and suggest that a number like 0.45 cannot be
written as .45 and 976. is not allowed for the whole number 976.
1. (a) (i) 97.6 (ii) 976.3 (iii) 9763.1
(b) (i) 13.6 (ii) 136.7 (iii) 1367.9
2. (a) (i) 65.5 (ii) 655.4 (iii) 6554.0 (this is allowed!)
(b) (i) 0.02 (ii) 0.023 (iii) 0.00234

2.5 For a whole class activity you will need to prepare the number cards to be used, or
alternatively, get pupils to write their own.
1. 0.5, 0.509, 0.59, 0.9, 0.908, 0.99
2. 0.019, 0.089, 0.101, 0.18, 0.809, 0.81
3. 0.019, 0.089, 0.101, 0.18, 0.5, 0.509, 0.59, 0.809, 0.81, 0.9, 0.908, 0.99

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