Unit 3: Rounding Decimals

Decimals are rounded in health care to create manageable numbers. We may have a difficult time visualizing a number the size of 15.4259871; however, we can easily understand the number 15.43 or 15.4. Rounding to a specific decimal place is accomplished in the same way that whole numbers are rounded. In general, health care workers round decimal numbers to the nearest tenth or the nearest hundredth. 

Here is an example:

Round 1.85 to the nearest tenth.

Step 1: Underline the place value which you are rounding

1.85

Step 2: Outline (bold) one number to the right of the underlined number. If the outlined (bolded) number is 5 or greater, add 1 to the underlined number and drop all numbers to the right of the changed number.

1.85   --->    1.9

If the outlined (bolded) number is less than 5, do not change the underlined number, but drop all the numbers to the right of that number.

1.83   --->    1.8

 

Let's do one more example:

Round 4.97 to the nearest tenth.

Step 1:       4.67

Step 2:      4.67       4.67 (Add 1 to the 6 = 4.7

 

Now complete the following practice problems:

Round to the nearest tenth:

1. 6.74                                                   6. 704.95

2. 249.86                                               7. 0.0943

3. 0.78                                                   8. 349.37

4. 3.612                                                 9. 9.89

5. 25.02                                                10. 0.087

 

Round to the nearest hundredth:

1. 17.327                                                6. $2,104.399

2. 0.975                                                  7. 32.651

3. 4.8166                                                8. 9.27194

4. 0.0650                                                9. 46.085

5. 0.0074                                               10. 4.719

 

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