L4 · Rounding numbers to various places

Learning goal

“I can round numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, thousand or ten-thousand, using the halfway point to decide, and I can choose the place that fits the job.”

Round — to replace a number with a nearby number that has zeros after a chosen place, e.g. rounding 63,482 to 63,000.

Nearest — closest in value: 26,499 is nearer to 26,000 than to 27,000.

Halfway point — the number exactly in the middle of two rounding neighbours; 63,500 is halfway between 63,000 and 64,000. Numbers at or past the halfway point round up.

Worked example

Round 63,482 to the nearest thousand. Step 1 (neighbours): the thousands neighbours are 63,000 and 64,000. Step 2 (halfway): the halfway point is 63,500. Step 3 (decide): 63,482 < 63,500 — it has not reached halfway, so it rounds DOWN to 63,000. The digit shortcut says the same thing: look at the digit after the rounding place — 4, in the hundreds place — less than 5 means round down.

Check yourself — explain it

A number exactly at the halfway point rounds up because...

Paired problem — example still visible

Round 27,650 to the nearest thousand -> 28,000 (halfway is 27,500; 27,650 is past it)

Faded completion — last step is yours

"Round 8,249 to the nearest hundred: neighbours 8,200 and 8,300; the digit after the hundreds place is 4, so it rounds ___ to ___" -> down; 8,200

Ready to practise?

10 scored questions with a 3-rung hint ladder. Mastery needs 8/10 plus both gate questions.

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