Problem 471 - Prealgebra

Question

Round to the nearest ten. $$3,556$$

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

3,560

Step 1: Identify the Ones and Tens Place

Look at the number 3,556. Identify the digit in the ones place (6) and the digit in the tens place (5).

Step 2: Check the Ones Place

Determine if the digit in the ones place (6) is 5 or greater. If so, round up the digit in the tens place.

Step 3: Round the Tens Place

Since the ones place is 6 (which is greater than 5), round up the digit in the tens place (5) by one. So, 5 becomes 6.

Step 4: Set Ones Place to Zero

After rounding, set the ones place to zero. Therefore, 3,556 becomes 3,560.

Key Concepts

Understanding Place Value

Place value helps us determine the value of each digit in a number based on its position. In the number 3,556:

• The digit 3 is in the thousand's place.
• The digit 5 is in the hundred's place.
• The second digit 5 is in the ten's place.
• The digit 6 is in the one's place.

This concept is key to rounding because we need to know which digit stands where. When rounding to the nearest ten, we mainly focus on the digits in the one's and ten's places.

Mastering Rounding Rules

Rounding rules are simple but crucial:

• If the digit in the position you are rounding to is less than 5, round down.
• If the digit is 5 or greater, round up.

Let's apply these rules to our example. In 3,556, the ones place is 6. Since 6 is greater than 5, we need to round up the tens place.

Rounding to the Nearest Ten

Now, we apply the above concepts to round 3,556 to the nearest ten:

• First, identify the digits in the ones place (6) and the tens place (5).
• Next, since the ones digit (6) is greater than 5, we round up the digit in the tens place (5) to 6.
• Finally, set the ones place to zero, resulting in 3,560.

So, 3,556 rounded to the nearest ten is 3,560.