Estimation using Rounding
Ever wondered how to quickly check if your calculator answer makes sense? Estimation is the answer! It involves rounding numbers to make calculations easier to do mentally.
Let's see how to estimate the answer to 2123+0.00389 by rounding to 1 significant figure. For 2123, the first significant figure is 2. Since the second significant figure (1) is between 0-4, we round down to 2,000. For 0.00389, the first significant figure is 3. Since the next digit (8) is between 5-9, we round up to 0.004.
To solve our estimation, we rewrite the equation as 2,000÷0.004. First, we can ignore the decimal point, making it 2,000÷4=500. Then we adjust for the decimal place to get our final estimate of 500.
Quick Tip: When estimating, focus on getting a reasonable approximation rather than an exact answer. This skill will help you quickly spot calculation errors on tests!