Created By: Mohd Said B Te

Required Basic Mathematical Skills

Rounding off whole
numbers to a specified
place value

Round off 1 688 to the

nearest hundred

1 700

Round off 430 618 to the

nearest thousand

431 000

Round off 30 106 correct to

the
nearest hundred.

0
3 0106
0<5

Round off 14.78

to the nearest whole number
+1

15
4. 7 8
Add
4
Drop
allI to
thedigit
decimals

Understand !!
The first digit on the
!right is greater than 5

Required Basic Mathematical Skills

Rounding off whole
numbers to a
specified number of
decimal places

Express 1.8523 to
three decimal places

1.852

Express 0.4968 to
two decimal places

0.50

Round off 5.316

to 1 decimal place

5 . 3 1 6
Do not
The first digit on the
change
Underline
digit 3
right is less than 5
digit 3
st
(1 decimal place)

Round off 4.387

to 2 decimal places
+1

97
4.38
Addfirst
1 to digit on
The
Underline
digit 8
8
the right is more
(2 nd decimal
place)
than 5

Required Basic Mathematical Skills

Law of Indices
10m x 10n = 10m + n
10 10 = 10
m

m -n

Simplify the following

103 x 10-5

10-2
102 106

10-4

Very large and very small numbers are convenient

rounded off to a specified number of significant fi

The concept of significant figures is another way

of stating the accuracy of a measurement

Significant

figures refer to the relevant digits in an

or a decimal number which has been rounded off
a given degree of accuracy

Positive numbers greater than 1 c

rounded off to a given number of s
figures

The rules for determining the

number of significant figures in
a number are as follows:
All non-zero digits are significant
figures
2.73 has 3 significant figures
1346 has 4 significant figures

The rules for determining the

number of significant figures in
a number are as follows:
All zeros between non-zero are
significant figures
2.03 has 3 significant figures
3008 has 4 significant figures

The rules for determining the

number of significant figures in
a number are as follows:
In a decimal, all zeros after any
non-zero digit are significant
figures
3.60 has 3 significant figures
27.00 has 4 significant figures

The rules for determining the

number of significant figures in
a number are as follows:
In a decimal, all zeros before
the first non-zero digit are
not significant

0.0032 has 2 significant figures

0.0156 has 3 significant
figures

The rules for determining the

number of significant figures in
a number are as follows:
All zeros after any non-zero
digit in a whole number are not
significant unless stated other
wise

1999 = 2000 ( one s.f )

The rules for determining the

number of significant figures in
a number are as follows:
All zeros after any non-zero
digit in a whole number are not
significant unless stated other
wise

1999 = 2000 ( two s.f )

The rules for determining the

number of significant figures in
a number are as follows:
All zeros after any non-zero
digit in a whole number are not
significant unless stated other
wise

1999 = 2000 ( three s.f )

State the number of significant figures in

each of the following
(a)

4 576

(b)

603

(c)

25 009

(d)

2.10

(e)

0.0706

(f)

0.80

4
3
5
3
3
2

Method of rounding off to a specified number of sign

Identify the digit (x) that is to be rounded off
Is the digit after x greater than or equal to 5

YES
Add 1 to x

NO
x remains unchanged

Do the digit after x lie before the decimal point?

YES (BEFORE)
Replace each digit with zero

NO (AFTER)
Drop the digits

Write the number according to the specified number of signifi

Round off 30 106 correct to

three
significant figures.

0
3 0106
0<5

Round off 0.05098 correct to

three
significant figures.

1 0 +1

0. 0 5098
8>5

0 . 0 5 10 90 8

Round off 0.0724789 correct to

four significant figures.

+1

0. 0 724789
8>5

88 9
0. 0 7247

Complete the following table (Round off to)

Number

3 sig. fig.

2 sig. fig.

1 sig. fig.

47 103

47100

47000

50 000

20 464

20 500

20 000

20 000

1 978

1 980

3.465

3.47

2 000
3.5

2
0003

70.067

70.1

70

70

4.004

4.00

4.0

0.04567

0.0457

0.046

0.05

0.06045

0.0605

0.060

0.06

0.00078

0.0008

0.0007805

0.000781

We

usually use standard form for writing ve

very small numbers

standard form is a number that is written

product of a number A (between 1 and 10
a power of 10

A x 10n, where 1 A < 10, and n is an integer

Positive numbers greater than or equal

to 10 can be written in the standard form
A x 10n , where 1 A 10 and n is the
positive integer, i.e. n = 1, 2, 3,
Example58 000 000 = 5.8 x 107

Positive numbers less than or equal

to 1 can be written in the standard form
A x 10n , where 1 A 10 and n is the
negative integer, i.e. n = ..,-3, -2, -1
Example0.000073 = 7.3 x 10-5

Express 431 000 in standard form

Express the number as a product of
A (1 A < 10) and a power of 10
A

Power of 10

431 000 = 4.31 x 100 000

5
x
10
4.31
=
431 000 = 4 3 1 0 0 0
5
x
10
4.31
=

5 is the number of places, the decimal point

is moved to the left

Express 0.000709 in standard form

Express the number as a product of
A (1 A < 10) and a power of 10
Power of 10
A

1
0.000709 = 7.09 x
10000
1
= 7.09 x
4
10
-4
x
10
7.09
=

Express 0.000709 in standard form

0.000709 = 0 . 0 0 0 7 0 9
= 7.09 x 10-4
-4 is the number of places, the decimal point
is moved to the right

Write the following numbers in standard

form
NUMBER
8765
32154
6900000
0.7321
0.00452
0.0000376
0.0000000183

STANDARD FORM
8.765 x 103
3.2154 x 104
6.9 x 106
7.321 x 10-1
4.52 x 10-3
3.76 x 10-5
1.83 x 10-8

Number in the standard form, A x 10n , can be

converted to single numbers by moving the decimal
point A
(a) n places to the right if n is positive
(b) n places to the left if n is negative

Express 1.205 x 104 as a single number

3.405 x 10

=3 . 4 0 5 0
Move the decimal point 4 places to the right

=34050

Express 7.53x 10-4 as a single number

7.53 x 10

-4

= 0 0 00 7.5 3
Move the decimal point 4 places to the left

= 0.000753

Express the following in single numbers

STANDARD FORM
4.863 x 103
7.2051 x 104
4.31 x 106
5.164 x 10-1
1.93 x 10-3
2.04 x 10-5
9.16 x 10-8

NUMBER
4863
72051
4310000
0.5164
0.00193
0.0000204
0.0000000916

3.25 X 105 = 325000

-5
7.14 X 10 = 0.0000714
4537000 = 4.537 X 106
0.0000006398 = 6.398 X 10-7

325 X 105
6
32.5
X
10
=
7
3.25
X
10
=
8
0.325
X
10
=

431 X 10-8
-7
43.1
X
10
=
-6
4.31
X
10
=
-5
0.431
X
10
=

Two numbers in standard form can be added

or subtracted if both numbers have the same
index

MA R T

a x 10 + b x 10
m
=(a + b) x 10
m

a x 10 - b x 10
m
=(a - b) x 10
m

5.3 x 105 + 3.8 x 105

5
(5.3
+
3.8
)
x
10
=
5
9.1
x
10
=

7.8 x 10-2 - 3.5 x 10-2

-2
(7.8
3.5
)
x
10
=
-2
4.3
x
10
=

Two numbers in standard form with

difference indices can only be added or
subtracted if the differing indices are made
equal

4.6 x 106 + 5 x 105

6
6
4.6
x
10
+
0.5
x
10
=
6
(4.6
+
0.5
)
x
10
=
6
5.1
x
10
=

6.4 x 10-4 - 8 x 10-5

-4
-4
6.4
x
10
0.8
x
10
=
-4
(6.4
0.8)
x
10
=
-4
5.6
x
10
=

Calculate 3.2 x 104 6.7 x 103.

Stating your answer in standard
form.

3.2 x10 0.67 x10

4

(3.2 0.67) x10

2.53x10

0.0000398_
3.98x10

2.9 x10

0.29 x10

(3.98 0.29) x10

3.69 x10

When two numbers in standard form are

multiplied or divided, the ordinary numbers
are multiplied or divided with each other
While their indices are added or subtracted

MA R T

a x 10 x b x 10
m+n
=(a x b) x 10
m

a x 10 b x 10
m-n
=(a b) x 10
m

9.5 x 103 x 2.2 x 102

3
2
(9.5
x
2.2)
x
(10
x
10
)
=
3+2
20.9
x
10
=
5
20.9
x
10
=
6
2.09
x
10
=

7.2 x10
2
6 x10
7 .2
5 ( 2 )

x10
6
7
1.2 x10

Calculate 1.17 x 10-2 . Stating your answer in

3 x 106
standard form.

1.17
26
x10
3
8
0.39 x10
3.9 x10

3 2

Calculate (9.24 10 ) , expressing the answer

6 10 2
in standard form.

(9.24) 2 x10 3 x 2
6 x10 2
85.4

x10 6( 2 )
6
14.2 x10 4
1.42 x10 3

1 km2 = (1000 x 1000) m2

= (103 x 103) m2
= 106 m2

The area of a piece of rectangular land is

6.4 km2. If the width of the land is 1600 m,
calculate the length, in m, of the land
Length of the land = Area
Width

6.4 x10 6

1.6x103
6.4

x103
1.6
3
4 x10 m

Round off 0.05098 correct to

three
significant figures.
1
A
B
C
D

0.051
0.0500
0.0509
0.0510

+1
0

0. 0 5098
8>5

0 . 0 5 10 90 8

Round off 0.08305 correct to three significant

figures.
A
B
C
D

0.083
0.084
0.0830
0.0831

1 +1

0. 0 8305
5=5

05
0 . 0 8 31

Round off 30 106 correct to

three
significant figures.
A
B
C
D

30 000
30 100
30 110
30 200

0
3 0106
0<5

Express 1.205 x 104 as a single number

A
B
C
D

1 205
12 050
1 205 000
12 050 000

MODE

COMP
1

1 2 0 50
1

1 . 2 0
= 12 050

EXP

Express 4.23 x 10-4 as a single number

A
B
C
D

0. 423
0. 0423
0. 00423
0. 000423

4 . 2 3
= 0.000423

EXP

(-)

Express 52 700 in standard form.

A
B
C
D

5.27 102
5.27 104
5.27 102
5.27 x 10-4

52 700

5x
MODE

5
=

Sci
2

2
7

Sci 0 9 ?

5.27 x 104

3.2 x10 6900

4

A
B
C
D

3.89 x10 8
3.89 x10
4
1.01x10
8
1.01x10

3.2 x10 6900

4

3.2 x10 0.69 x10

4

(3.2 0.69) x10

3.89 x10

8.15x10
A
B
C
D

1.8x10

6.35x10 6
6.35x10
7
7.97 x10
6
7.97 x10

8.15x10

0.18x10

(8.15 0.18) x10

7.97 x10

2.96 x10

4 2
(4 x10 )
A
B
C
D

7.24 x10 5
7.24 x10
4
1.85x10 5
1.85x10

2.96 x10

16x10
2.96
-3(-8)

x10
16
5
0.185x10
1.85x10