Practise decimals, significant figures and rounding

An image showing numbers on a calculator

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Use this activity to boost students’ data handling skills

Use this activity to boost students’ data handling skills.

All measurements have uncertainty that comes from the limitations of measuring equipment and/or the variation in a sample. The way we express the result of a measurement or calculation conveys important information about our estimation of its accuracy, and this requires knowledge of mathematical concepts such as rounding numbers, decimals and significant figures. Use this activity to provide extra support for students working with data and allow them to practise handling significant figures, decimal places and uncertainty in measurements, starting with number lines and moving on to choosing between options and filling in blanks to increase the level of demand.

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