Significant Figures

Rounding to Decimal Places

10 multiple choice
questions
 Round to 1 dp
0.34
A) 0.4 B) 0.3

C) 0.35 D) 3
 Round to 1 dp
0.48
A) 0.49 B) 0.4

C) 0.47 D) 0.5
 Round to 1 dp
2.75
A) 2.8 B) 2.74

C) 2.7 D) 3.0
 Round to 1 dp
13.374
A) 13.0 B) 14.0

C) 13.3 D) 13.4
 Round to 1 dp
26.519
A) 25.0 B) 26.6

C) 26.0 D) 26.5
 Round to 2 dp
23.1782
A) 23.20 B) 23.18

C) 23.10 D) 23.17
 Round to 2 dp
500.8251
A) 500.80 B) 500.8

C) 500.83 D) 500.84
 Round to 3 dp
0.00417
A) 0.00417 B) 0.004

C) 0.00418 D) 0.005
 Round to 2 dp
4.999
A) 4.99 B) 4.90

C) 5.00 D) 4.98
 Round to 4 dp
0.72995
A) 0.7300 B) 0.7390

C) 0.7210 D) 0.7399
 Decimal Places
• When we round to decimals, we start counting
as soon as we reach the decimal point.

Round 17.46789 to 2 decimal places

1 decimal place 2 decimal places, this will stay

a 6 or go to a 7 depending
on what the next number is
 Significant Figures
• When we round to significant figures, we start
counting as soon as we reach a number that is
not zero
Round 17.46789 to 2 significant figures

1 significant figure 2 significant figures, this

will stay a 7 or go to All the numbers after
a 8 depending on will become zero
what the next
number is

Round 17.46789 to 2 decimal places= 17.00000 or

just 17
 Round to 1 sf

0
43 7 8
0 5
0 3
0 7
0
Look at the next number
It’s more than 4 so we round up!
 Round to 3 sf

37 8 4
0 3
0 7
0
Look at the next number
It’s less than 5 so we round down!
 Round to 2 sf

0 . 0 0 2 98 9
Look at the next number
It’s more than 4 so we round up!
 Round to 3 sf

0 . 0 0 2 0 98 7
Look at the next number
It’s more than 4 so we round up!
Rounding to Significant Figures

Main
1. When you are rounding to decimal
places you start counting after the
decimal point, but with significant
figures you start counting at the
first non zero number
2.
i. 1000 1500 1460
ii. 200 160 157
iii. 40 37 37.1
iv. 6 6.1 6.09
v. 0.006 0.0064 0.00640
3.
a) 4.7
b) 0.058
c) 0.19
d) 540
Rounding to Significant
Figures (sig fig or s.f)
10 multiple choice
questions
 Round-

0.23 to 1 s.f

A) 0.3 B) 2

C) 0.2 D) 3
 Round-

0.045 to 1 s.f

A) 0.04 B) 0.1

C) 0.0 D) 0.05
 Round-

623 to 1 s.f

A) 600 B) 620

C) 630 D) 700
 Round-

5328 to 1 s.f

A) 5300 B) 5000

C) 5330 D) 6000
 Round-

0.005136 to 2 s.f

A) 0.01 B) 0.0050

C) 0.00514 D) 0.0051
 Round-

426.213 to 2 s.f

A) 426.21 B) 430

C) 400.00 D) 420
 Round-

3002.01 to 3 s.f

A) 300 B) 3000

C) 3010 D) 3002.0
 Round-

983.4 to 1 s.f

A) 100 B) 900

C) 980 D) 1000
 Round-

0.00456 to 2 s.f

A) 0.0045 B) 0.004

C) 0.0046 D) 0.00
 Round-

36345.3 to 3 s.f

A) 36300 B) 4000

C) 36000 D) 45300