New Syllabus Mathematics Workbook 1 4.

Estimation and Approximation

Chapter 4: Estimation and Approximation

Summary

Rules for rounding a number to a given number of significant figures:

(a) Count the given number of significant figures from left to right, starting with the first non-zero
figure. Include one extra figure for consideration.
(b) If the extra figure is less than 5, drop the extra figure and all other following figures. Use zeros to
keep the place value if necessary.
(c) If the extra figure is 5 or more, add 1 to the previous figure before dropping the extra figure and
all other following figures. Use zeros to keep the place value if necessary.

Rules for determining the number of significant figures:

(a) The following figures in a number are significant:

(i) All non-zero figures.
(ii) All zeros between significant figures.
(iii) All zeros at the end of a decimal.
(b) The following figures in a number are not significant:
(i) All zeros at the beginning of a decimal less than 1.
(ii) All zeros at the end of a whole number may or may not be significant. It depends on how the
estimation is made.

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Practice Questions

Do not use calculators unless stated otherwise.

Make an estimate and pick the closest answer in each of the following cases.

1. 4.95 × 201.99 =

(A) 10 (B) 100 (C) 1000 (D) 10 000 (E) 100 000

2. 4971.3 × 223.74 =

(A) 1 000 000 (B) 100 000 (C) 10 000 (D) 1000 (E) 100

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New Syllabus Mathematics Workbook 1 4. Estimation and Approximation

3. 24 940 × 9.956 =

(A) 250 (B) 2500 (C) 25 000 (D) 250 000 (E) 2 500 000

4. 4761 × 589 =

(A) 300 000 000 (B) 30 000 000 (C) 3 000 000 (D) 300 000 (E) 30 000

5. 7938 ÷ 0.038 755 =

(A) 200 (B) 2000 (C) 20 000 (D) 200 000 (E) 2 000 000

6. 8.184 × 0.8888 =

(A) 0.64 (B) 0.72 (C) 6.4 (D) 7.2 (E) 64

7. 31 990 × 5800 =

(A) 18 000 (B) 180 000 (C) 1 800 000 (D) 18 000 000 (E) 180 000 000

8. 112.19 ÷ 0.3977 =

(A) 2500 (B) 250 (C) 25 (D) 2.5 (E) 0.25

9. 8.01 ÷ 0.0421 =

(A) 2 (B) 20 (C) 200 (D) 2000 (E) 20 000

10. 5891 × 32 810 =

(A) 0.02 (B) 0.2 (C) 2 (D) 20 (E) 200

Estimate each of the following and select the nearest answer in each case.
59.26×5.109
11. =
3.817

(A) 0.75 (B) 7.5 (C) 75 (D) 750 (E) 1500

16.02×0.0341
12. =
0.079 21

(A) 0.006 (B) 0.06 (C) 0.6 (D) 6 (E) 60

89.82
13. =
10.713×0.028 15

(A) 3000 (B) 300 (C) 30 (D) 3 (E) 0.3

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New Syllabus Mathematics Workbook 1 4. Estimation and Approximation

9.034×0.2106
14. =
0.0289×√24.778

(A) 0.012 (B) 0.12 (C) 1.2 (D) 12 (E) 120

2905×(0.512)3
15. =
0.004 987

(A) 750 (B) 7500 (C) 75 000 (D) 750 000 (E) 7 500 000
4.311×0.029 16
16. 3 =
√981×0.0231

(A) 60 (B) 6 (C) 0.6 (D) 0.06 (E) 0.006

17. Round off the following.

(a) 5623 km to the nearest 10 km

(b) 881 cm to the nearest 100 cm

(c) 32 499 g to the nearest 1000 g

(d) 49 153 g to the nearest 10 kg

18. Round off the following measurements in cm to the nearest cm.

(a) 4.45 (b) 23.67 (c) 107.05 (d) 654.59

19. Round off the following measurements in kg to the nearest 0.1 kg.

(a) 14.045 (b) 57.496 (c) 108.356 (d) 763.247

1
20. Round off the following measurements in cm2 to the nearest cm2.
10

(a) 7.0283 (b) 40.08 (c) 148.30 (d) 168.353

Express the following numbers correct to the number of significant figures indicated within the brackets.

21. 4.0672 (2) 26. 3.9054 (3)

22. 0.076 952 (3) 27. 37.87 (2)

23. 5003.583 (4) 28. 18.1356 (4)

24. 19.648 51 (2) 29. 0.008 165 4 (3)

25. 18.08 (3) 30. 240.0489 (4)

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New Syllabus Mathematics Workbook 1 4. Estimation and Approximation

31. 0.054 45 (2) 32. 0.032 56 (3)

33. Estimate the value of each of the following. Give your answer correct to one significant figure.

(a) 4987 × 91.2

(b) 0.0079 × 21.7

8.98
(c)
3.03

163.4
(d)
0.0818

(e) (398)2 × 0.062

Estimate, correct to one significant figure, the value of the following.

29.12×5.167 0.281×0.007 24
34. 37.
1.895 10.138×0.0976

41.41 √24.977×28.0349
35. 38.
10.02×0.018 65 19.897

4.9×57×0.389
36.
20.128

39. The Stevens are going on a 1097-km trip. They would like to drive half of the way on Monday and
stay overnight at a hotel. Approximately how many kilometers should they drive on Monday
before they stop at a hotel?

40. Mr. Ted has 148 pencils and needs to sell them by the dozen. How many dozens can he sell?

41. Mary bought a dress that had an original price of $98.99 but it was marked 25% off because of a
sale. About how much will the dress cost?

42. A happy meal costs $5.25 at Juwaida Chicken. Mr. Kentucky would like to buy 19 happy meals
for a birthday party. About how much will the meals cost altogether?

43. John travelled 297 km on 19.1 liters of petrol. About how many km per liter of petrol does John’s
car get?
1 11
44. Ryan would like to buy a rug for his living room. The length of the rug will be 4 m long and 2
12 12

m wide. What is the approximate area of the rug that is needed for the living room?

45. Mr. Lim’s annual salary is $47 899.52.

(a) What is his approximate monthly salary?

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New Syllabus Mathematics Workbook 1 4. Estimation and Approximation

(b) In order to fill out his tax forms, Mr. Lim has to round off his salary to the nearest dollar. What
should he write on the tax form for his salary?

46. There are 33 classrooms at Algebra Secondary School. If each classroom holds 37 students,
approximately how many students can the school hold?

47. Alex wants to buy as many pens as he can. He has $8.15 and each pen costs 85 cents. How many
pens can he buy?

48. Vikesh drives to work at 62 km per hour. His office is 22.5 km away. How long will it take Vikesh
to get to his office?

49. The length and breadth of a rectangular sheet of metal are measured and recorded as 9.96 meters
and 5.08 meters respectively. Estimate, correct to one significant figure,

(a) the perimeter in meters, (b) the area, in square meters.

50. The length of the circumference of a circle is given by the formula 𝑙𝑙 = 2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋 and its area given by
the formula 𝐴𝐴 = 𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟 2 , where r is its radius. Find

(a) the approximate length of the circumference of a circle whose radius is

(i) 497 mm, (ii) 5.12 m;

(b) the area of a circle whose radius is

(i) 10.09 m, (ii) 98.4 mm.

Express the following numbers correct to one decimal place.

51. 34.29 53. 138.08 55. 2.497

52. 26.87 54. 36.148 56. 18.5095

Express the following numbers correct to two decimal places.

57. 4.698 59. 0.045 61. 10.0968

58. 26.8047 60. 14.937 62. 8.0994

Express the following numbers correct to three decimal places.

63. 0.037 64 64. 8.4453 65. 7.4495

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New Syllabus Mathematics Workbook 1 4. Estimation and Approximation

66. 11.6387 68. 32.929 49 70. 4.825 51

67. 6.8282 69. 13.450 93

Express the following numbers correct to the number of decimal places shown in brackets.

71. A

72. A

73. A

74. a

75. a

76. a

77. a

78. a

79. a

80. a

81. a

82. a

83. a

84. a

85. a

86. a

87. a

88. a

89. a

Use your calculator to evaluate each of the following, giving your answer as (a) a fraction, (b) a
decimal correct to 4 decimal places.

90. a

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New Syllabus Mathematics Workbook 1 4. Estimation and Approximation

91. a

92. a

93. a

94. a

95. a

=== END OF THE CHAPTER ===

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New Syllabus Mathematics Workbook 1 4. Estimation and Approximation

ANSWERS

1. A 25. A 49. A

2. A 26. A 50. A

3. A 27. A 51. A

4. A 28. A 52. A

5. AA 29. A 53. A

6. A 30. A 54. A

7. A 31. A 55. A

8. F 32. A 56. A

9. A 33. A 57. A

10. A 34. A 58. A

11. A 35. A 59. A

12. A 36. A 60. A

13. A 37. A 61. A

14. A 38. A 62. A

15. A 39. A 63. A

16. A 40. A 64. A

17. A 41. A 65. A

18. A 42. A 66. A

19. A 43. A 67. A

20. A 44. A 68. A

21. A 45. A 69. A

22. A 46. A 70. a

23. A 47. A

24. A 48. A

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