---
title: "Rounding to a required degree of accuracy"
description: "Round decimals to any place using place-value understanding; round any whole number to a required degree of accuracy"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/rounding-to-a-required-degree-of-accuracy-mt__casygEB85
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/rounding-to-a-required-degree-of-accuracy-mt__casygEB85.md
retrieved: 2026-09-02
---

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# Rounding to a required degree of accuracy

Round decimals to any place using place-value understanding; round any whole number to a required degree of accuracy

Subject: Mathematics · Area: Number Representation & Place Value · Ages 10 to 11
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/rounding-to-a-required-degree-of-accuracy-mt__casygEB85

## Ready when they can

- Round 3.4567 to 2 decimal places (3.46)
- Round 7,654,321 to the nearest 100,000 (7,700,000)
- Use rounding to estimate 4.83 × 2.17 ≈ 5 × 2 = 10

## Lesson: Rounding to a given accuracy

A decimal number has place-value columns after the point too: tenths, then hundredths, then thousandths. To round a decimal, first decide which place you want to keep. Then look at the very next digit to its right.

*(drawing: To round 3.4567 to 2 decimal places, check the digit right after: the 6 in the thousandths place.)*

**Example.** Round 3.4567 to 2 decimal places. Keep the tenths and hundredths digits: 3.45. Look at the next digit, which is 6. Since 6 is 5 or more, the hundredths digit rounds up by one, giving 3.46.

**Example.** The same rule works for big whole numbers. To round 7,654,321 to the nearest 100,000, keep the digit in the hundred-thousands place (6) and look at the digit right after it (5). Since 5 is 5 or more, that digit rounds up, giving 7,700,000.

**Example.** Rounding also gives quick estimates. To estimate 4.83 × 2.17, round each number to the nearest whole number first. 4.83 rounds to 5 and 2.17 rounds to 2. Then multiply the easy numbers: 5 × 2 = 10. The real answer should land near 10.

**Recap.** Rounding any number means keeping the place you want and checking only the very next digit to decide whether it goes up.

## Practice

8 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Rounding Large Numbers](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/rounding-large-numbers-mt_5NwqN6pf_A)
- [Reading and writing numbers (age 10+)](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/reading-and-writing-numbers-age-10-mt_Ac7oMWhyPw)
- [Decimals to three places](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/decimals-to-three-places-mt_sA2OvTiech)

## Opens up

- [Estimation to check answers to calculations](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/estimation-to-check-answers-to-calculations-mt_ilPrU0cbtT)
- [Rounding Answers](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/rounding-answers-mt_QU5R7Aajy9)
- [Decimal place value (age 11+)](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/decimal-place-value-age-11-mt_U9sme87C32)
- [Numbers to Ten Million](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/numbers-to-ten-million-mt_XNmGwNggdU)