ffirs.indd

Long Division by Factors 147
WORKING WITH DECIMALS
We can divide numbers using factors to as many decimal places as
we like.
Put as many zeros after the decimal as the number of decimal places
you require, and then add one more. Th is ensures that your fi nal
decimal place is accurate.
If you were dividing 1,486 by 28 and you needed accuracy to two
decimal places, put three zeros after the number. You would divide
1,486.000 by 28.
53.071
7 371.500
4 1,486.000
Rounding off decimals
To round off to two decimal places, look at the third digit after the
decimal. If it is below 5, you leave the second digit as it is. If the
third digit is 5, or more, add 1 to the second digit.
In this case, the third digit after the decimal is 1. One is lower than
5 so we round off the answer by leaving the second digit as 7.
Th e answer, to two decimal places, is 53.07.
If we were rounding off to one decimal place, the answer would
be 53.1, as the second digit, 7, is higher than 5, so we round off
upward.
Th e answer to eight decimal places is 53.07142857.
To round off to seven decimal places, we look at the eighth digit,
which is 7. Th is is above 5, so the 5 is rounded off upward to 6. Th e
answer to seven decimal places is 53.0714286.