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CSEC General Mathematics

Approximations

Significant Figures
There are four rules for identifying significant figures:
1. All non – zero digits are significant.
Example. 251 has significant figures
2. Zero between two significant digits are significant.
Example 5001 has significant figures
3. Leading zeros are insignificant
Example 0052 has significant figures
Example 0.0034 has significant figures
4. Trailing zeros are only significant in decimal numbers
Example 2500 has significant figures
Example 2500.00 has significant figures

Check out this significant figures calculator: https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/math/significant-

figures-counter.php

Example 1
State the number of significant figures in each of the following numbers
(a) 600.23 (b) 004014 (c) 500.21 (d) 0.42300

(e) 91920.00 (f) 89923.00 (g) 511030 (h) 000345000

(i) 13003200.5400 (j) 3.123400 (k) 00600.320 (l) 0900

Approximating to a Specified Significant Figure
To approximate to the 𝑛𝑡ℎ significant figure we go through the following steps:

1. Identify the digit occupying the 𝑛𝑡ℎ significant figure

2. Consider the value of the digit immediately to the right of the 𝑛𝑡ℎ significant figure
If this digit is
- greater than or equal to 5, we round up our 𝑛𝑡ℎ significant figure
- less than 5, we leave our 𝑛𝑡ℎ significant figure
3. Truncate
- if the 𝑛𝑡ℎ significant figure is in the decimal portion of the number, we completely
truncate
- if the 𝑛𝑡ℎ significant figure is in the whole number portion of the number, we replace the
digits following it with zeros.

Example 2
Approximate 3.14125 to 2 significant figures

Step 1: Identify the 2nd significant figure

Step 2: Consider the value of the digit immediately to the right of the 2nd significant figure.

Step 3: Truncate

Example 3
Approximate 52390.15 to 3 significant figures

Step 1: Identify the 3rd significant figure

Step 2: Consider the value of the digit immediately to the right of the 3rd significant figure.

Step 3: Truncate
Example 4
Approximate the following numbers to the stated number of significant figures in the bracket.

(a) 542394 (3) (b) 4.320345 (4) (c) 89.32212 (1)

(d) 90323.23 (5) (e) 0043900 (2) (f) 44.30712 (4)

Decimal Places
Consider the number
320.15403827
What digit occupies:
- the 2nd decimal place?
- the 5th decimal place?
- the 8th decimal place?

Approximating to a Specified Decimal Place

To approximate to the 𝑛𝑡ℎ decimal place we go through the following steps:

1. Identify the digit occupying the 𝑛𝑡ℎ decimal place

2. Consider the value of the digit immediately to the right of the 𝑛𝑡ℎ decimal place
If the value of this digit is
- greater than or equal to 5, we round up our 𝑛𝑡ℎ decimal value
- less than 5, we leave our 𝑛𝑡ℎ decimal value
3. Truncate all value after the 𝑛^𝑡ℎ decimal place.
Example 6
Approximate 3.14156 to three decimal places.

Step 1: Identify the digit occupying the 3rd decimal place

Step 2: Consider the value of the digit immediately after the 3rd decimal place
If the value of the digit is
- greater than or equal to 5, we round up our 3rd decimal value
- less than 5, we leave our 3rd decimal value

Step 3: Truncate all value after the 3rd decimal place.

Example 7
Approximate 925.08298 to four decimal places.

Step 1: Identify the digit occupying the 4th decimal place

Step 2: Consider the value of the digit immediately after the 4th decimal place
If the value of the digit is
- greater than or equal to 5, we round up our 4th decimal value
- less than 5, we leave our 4th decimal value

Step 3: Truncate all value after the 4th decimal place.

Example 9
Approximate the following numbers to the stated number of decimal places in the bracket

(a) 0.99834 (2) (b) 5.634198 (5) (c) 44.30412 (1)

(d) 55.6941 (0) (e) 9.56042 (3) (f) 995.9853 (2)

(g) 36.7894 (0) (h) 0.99983 (3) (i) 56.942367 (4)

Scientific Notation/ Standard Form

Often, scientist work with extremely large and extremely small numbers. Instead of writing these numbers
which would be time consuming, scientist devised a representation system for extremely large/ small
number.

This representation system is called “Standard Form”. It is also called “Scientific Notation” because it was
devised for the use of scientists.

Converting From Ordinary Form to Scientific Notation

To write a number in standard form, we perform the following steps:

1. Move the decimal point between the first two significant figures.
2. Write the number in the form
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 × 10𝑚
where m is the number of places the decimal point was moved.
- If moved to the right, m is negative
- If moved to the left, m is positive
Tip:
If you have a whole number, then the sign of m is going to be positive.

If you have a decimal number, then the sign on m is going to be negative.

Example 10
Concert the 48900 to scie

Note: The decimal in a

1. Move the decimal point between the first two significant figures. whole number is ALWAYS at
the end.

2. Write the number in the form

𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 × 10𝑚
where m is the number of places the decimal point was moved.
- If moved to the right, m is negative
- If moved to the left, m is positive

Example 11
Convert 0.005378 to scientific notation

1. Move the decimal point between the first two significant figures.

2. Write the number in the form

𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 × 10𝑚
where m is the number of places the decimal point was moved.
- If moved to the right, m is negative
- If moved to the left, m is positive

Example 12
Convert 54.925 × 10−4 to scientific notation

1. Move the decimal point between the first two significant figures.

2. Write the number in the form

𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 × 10𝑚
Example 13
Convert 0.0035 × 102
1. Move the decimal point between the first two significant figures.

2. Write the number in the form

𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 × 10𝑚

Example 14
Convert the following numbers to scientific notation
(a) 48900 (b) 0.000216 (c) 0.00000002

(d) 6.78914 (e) 0.15 × 10−2 (f) 54.9315

(g) 6604.3142 (h) 0.9562 (i) 95413.68

Converting From Scientific Notation to Ordinary Form

To write a number in ordinary form, we reverse the steps that we took above. That is we simply move the
decimal point m times:
- if m is negative, we move the decimal point to the left
- if m is positive, we move the decimal point to the right
Example 15
Convert 5.234 × 102 to ordinary form

Example 16
Convert 6.1935 × 10−3 to ordinary form

Example 17
Convert 943.892 × 10−5 to ordinary form

Example 18
Convert 8293.19032 × 104 to ordinary form
Combination Questions!
Example 19
(a) Evaluate the exact value of
2
1.9 × 103
( )
0.7

(b) Give your answer

(i) approximated to 3 significant figures
(ii) approximated to 2 decimal places
(iii) approximated to a whole number
(iv) in astandard form

Example 20
Write the value of
√101.6064
(a) Exactly
(b) To 1 decimal place
(c) To two significant figures
(d) In standard form

Example 21
(a) Without using a calculator, calculate the exact value of 9.72 × 12.05

(b) Hence, write your answer

(i) correct to two decimal places
(ii) correct to two significant figures
(iii) in standard form
Example 22
Evaluate
tan 30°
sin 45°
and express your answer

(a) to three significant figures

(b) to 2 decimal places
(c) as a whole number
(d) in standard form