Rounding Whole Numbers

Sometimes, you don't need a precise number. You just need a close estimate that's an easy number to work with. This is where rounding comes in. Rounding takes a number and finds the closest "round number" (a multiple of 10).
With rounding you will be asked to "round to the nearest _____." In the blank will be a place value such as ten, hundred, or thousand. To round:
- Look at the digit in the place value directly to the right of the one you are being asked to round to. So if you are rounding to the nearest ten, look at the ones place; to the nearest hundred, look at the tens place, etc.
- If that digit is 5 or higher, round up by adding 1 to the place being rounded. If the number is 4 or less, round down by leaving place being rounded alone.
- Every digit to the left of the place being rounded stays the same.
- Every digit to the right of the place being rounded changes to a zero.