Printable · GCSE Foundation · ages 14-16

Rounding, significant figures and error intervals worksheet — GCSE Foundation

Fifteen questions on "rounding, significant figures and error intervals" — DfE statement N15. Print it, or print three versions so neighbours cannot copy by letter; the key gives the letter for each version.

Calculator

VersionsA only A + B A + B + Csame questions, different order

AnswersQuestions only With answer key Key only

CalculatorMixed Non-calculator (Paper 1)Calculator (Papers 2 and 3)

New sheet

Rounding, significant figures and error intervals worksheet — GCSE Foundation

Maths · GCSE Foundation · N15 · Rounding, significant figures and error intervals · Calculator · 15 questions

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

1.A quantity surveyor calculates a length as 24.6851 m. Round this length to 2 decimal places.
(a)24.7
(b)24.685
(c)24.68
(d)24.69
2.The thickness of a sheet of card is 0.02384 cm. Write this thickness correct to 2 significant figures.
(a)0.02 cm
(b)0.023 cm
(c)0.0238 cm
(d)0.024 cm
3.Sam rounds 0.070268 to 3 significant figures and writes 0.0703. Which of these statements is correct?
(a)Sam should have written 0.070
(b)Sam should have written 0.0704
(c)Sam is correct
(d)Sam should have written 0.0702
4.A train journey takes 45 minutes, correct to the nearest 5 minutes. Using t for the actual time of the journey in minutes, write down the error interval for t.
(a)42.5 ≤ t < 47.5
(b)40 ≤ t < 50
(c)42.5 ≤ t ≤ 47.5
(d)44.5 ≤ t < 45.5
5.A charity trek covers 830 miles over roughly 19 days. By rounding each number to 1 significant figure, work out an estimate for the number of miles walked per day.
(a)4 miles
(b)830 miles
(c)41.5 miles
(d)40 miles
6.A digital timer truncates every time to 1 decimal place. It shows a swimmer's time for one length as 12.3 seconds. Using t for the swimmer's actual time in seconds, write down the error interval for t.
(a)12.25 ≤ t < 12.35
(b)12.3 < t ≤ 12.4
(c)12.3 ≤ t < 12.4
(d)12.3 ≤ t ≤ 12.4
7.Four friends share a restaurant bill of £53.90 equally. A calculator gives each share as 13.475. Work out how much each friend should pay.
(a)£13.47
(b)£13.48
(c)£13.50
(d)£13.40
8.A block of butter has a mass of 250 g, correct to the nearest 10 g. Using m for the mass of the block in grams, write down the error interval for m.
(a)240 ≤ m < 250
(b)245 ≤ m < 255
(c)245 < m ≤ 255
(d)240 ≤ m < 260
9.Round 0.006482 to 2 significant figures.
(a)0.01
(b)0.00648
(c)0.0065
(d)0.006
10.A van has a mass of 2,000 kg, correct to 1 significant figure. Using m for the mass of the van in kilograms, write down the error interval for m.
(a)1,500 ≤ m < 2,500
(b)1,000 ≤ m < 3,000
(c)1,950 ≤ m < 2,050
(d)1,500 < m ≤ 2,500
11.A number, y, is equal to 8.2 when rounded to 1 decimal place. Write down the error interval for y.
(a)8.15 ≤ y < 8.25
(b)8.15 < y < 8.25
(c)8.1 ≤ y < 8.2
(d)8.2 ≤ y < 8.3
12.Round 6.283 to 1 significant figure.
(a)10
(b)6.3
(c)6
(d)0.6
13.Which of these numbers rounds to 0.048 when rounded to 2 significant figures?
(a)0.0485
(b)0.052
(c)0.0479
(d)0.04
14.A number, n, is equal to 3.7 when rounded to 1 decimal place. Write down the error interval for n.
(a)3.6 ≤ n < 3.8
(b)3.65 ≤ n < 3.75
(c)3.65 < n < 3.75
(d)3.65 ≤ n ≤ 3.75
15.A recipe needs 0.485 kg of flour per cake. A bakery estimates its flour order by rounding this amount to 1 significant figure, then multiplying by the 60 cakes it plans to bake. Work out the bakery's estimate for the total flour needed, in kg.
(a)29.4 kg
(b)24 kg
(c)29.1 kg
(d)30 kg

Build your own mix at the worksheet builder.