Round to the nearest 1,000
3,482,741 rounds to 3,483,000 because the hundreds part is 741, which is 500 or more.
When rounding to the nearest 1,000, check the hundreds digit.
Year 6
Round any whole number to a required degree of accuracy
Round whole numbers accurately when the question asks for a specific degree of accuracy.
Lesson overview
Number - number and place value
A degree of accuracy tells us how exact an answer needs to be. We first decide which place we are rounding to. Then we check the digit to the right of that place. If it is 5 or more, we round up. If it is 4 or less, we round down.
Round to the nearest 100,000
6,249,999 rounds to 6,200,000 because the ten-thousands digit is 4, so it stays below the halfway point.
| Target place | Digit to check | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 100,000 | 4 | round down |
| Result | 6,249,999 | 6,200,000 |
The digit to the right decides whether the target place changes.
Choose the right degree of accuracy
If a question asks for an estimate in millions, 8,651,204 rounds to 9,000,000.
nearest 1,000,000
6 hundred thousands
The degree of accuracy changes which digit you check.
Worked example
Round 4,506,281 to the nearest 10,000.
| Place | Digit |
|---|---|
| Ten thousands | 0 |
| Thousands | 6 |
- Find the ten-thousands digit. It is 0.
- Check the digit to the right, which is the thousands digit.
- The thousands digit is 6, so we round up.
- 4,506,281 rounds to 4,510,000.
Try it
Check the required degree of accuracy first, then look one place to the right before deciding.
Question 1
Round 3,482,741 to the nearest 1,000.
Question 2
Round 6,249,999 to the nearest 100,000.
| Hundred thousands | Ten thousands |
|---|---|
| 2 | 4 |
Question 3
Round 4,506,281 to the nearest 10,000.
| Target place | Digit to check |
|---|---|
| 10,000 | 6 thousands |
Question 4
Which number is 8,651,204 rounded to the nearest 1,000,000?
Question 5
Which statement is correct?
Common mistakes
Watch for these when working through the lesson.
- Rounding to the wrong place because the degree of accuracy was not read carefully.
- Checking the target digit instead of the digit to its right.
- Changing too many digits instead of keeping the larger places the same until rounding is decided.
Related topics
These ideas fit closely with this lesson.
- Read, write, order and compare numbers up to 10,000,000 and determine the value of each digit.
- Solve number and practical problems that involve place value.
- Use estimation to check answers to calculations and determine an appropriate degree of accuracy.