APPROXIMATION s small WHAT DOES APPROXIMATION MEAN To

APPROXIMATION s. small

WHAT DOES APPROXIMATION MEAN To approximate means to give a rough estimate, not an exact value. The symbol ‘≈’ means approximately equal to.

TYPES OF APPROXIMATION Rounding off / Decimal Places Significant Figures Scientific Notation / Standard form

DECIMAL PLACES. Decimal places are the number of digits you must have in your final answer after the decimal point. Truncate means to cut off at a particular point (everything on the right become zeros or is ignored/lost).

APPROXIMATING TO DECIMAL PLACES We call this rounding off or Approximating to a given number of decimal places.

DECIMAL PLACES Imagine going to the bank!

RULES FOR ROUNDING OFF Count the number of digits after the decimal point that is required. Draw a line to distinguish between the digits you want and those you wish to “cut off”. If the digit to the right of the line is 5 or more then add “ 1” to the digit left of the line. Otherwise just remove those to the right of the line.

EXAMPLE FOR ROUNDING OFF Approximate 13. 67083 to 2 decimal place ( d. p. )

EXAMPLE FOR ROUNDING OFF Approximate 224. 7728 to 1 decimal place ( d. p. )

PRACTICE 0. 8567 (2 d. p. ) 195. 9856 ( 1 d. p. ) 0. 99998 (2 d. p. )

SIRRRR!!!!!

SIGNIFICANT FIGURES

RULES FOR SIGNIFICANT FIGURES Start counting from the first Non-zero digit (significant figure) Draw a line to separate the digits left and right. If the digit to the right of the line is “ 5” or more then add “ 1” to the digit left of the line. Note that the place values must be kept, so adding

EXAMPLE FOR SIGNIFICANT FIGURES Approximate 13. 67083 to 2 significant figures ( s. f. )

EXAMPLE FOR SIGNIFICANT FIGURES Approximate 224. 7728 to 1 Significant figure (s. f. )

SIRRRR!!!!!

PRACTICE 0. 8567 195. 9856 0. 99998 (2 s. f. ) ( 1 s. f. ) (2 s. f. )

SCIENTIFIC NOTATION OR STANDARD FORM

RULES FOR SCIENTIFIC NOTATION

SCIENTIFIC NOTATION Convert 101 to scientific notation ( standard form)

CONVERT TO SCIENTIFIC NOTATION Approximate 13. 67083 to 2 significant figures (s. f. )

EXAMPLE FOR ROUNDING OFF Approximate 224. 7728 to 1 Significant figure (s. f. )

PRACTICE 0. 8567 (2 s. f. ) 195. 9856 ( 1 s. f. ) 0. 99998 (2 s. f. )

SIRRRR!!!!!