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Lesson 5 of 13

A good estimate is fast and close

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5 min

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Look quickly at three price tags. About ₹500? You did not add exactly.

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Three prices: ₹186, ₹243, ₹95.
Step 1 of 4
  1. Three prices: ₹186, ₹243, ₹95.
  2. Round each to the nearest hundred: ₹200, ₹200, ₹100.
  3. Add the rounded prices: ₹500.
  4. Real total: ₹524. Close!

The rule

Yes, ₹500 is close to the real total.

An estimate is a fast answer close to the real one. Round each number first: change it to a near, easy number. Then add the rounded numbers.

Rounding to the nearest ten is slower. Rounding to tens changes each number by less. So the answer is usually closer.

Example

₹167 + ₹154 is really ₹321. Round to hundreds: ₹167 and ₹154 both become ₹200. 200 + 200 = 400. Round to tens: ₹167 becomes ₹170 and ₹154 becomes ₹150. 170 + 150 = 320. The real total is ₹321. So ₹320 is much closer than ₹400.

Try the lab to finish this lesson.