INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

Mathematics: applications and interpretation

MAI

EXERCISES [MAI 1.1]

NUMBERS – ROUNDING – PERCENTAGE ERROR

Compiled by Christos Nikolaidis

A. Paper 1 questions (SHORT)

NUMBERS AND ROUNDING

1. [Maximum mark: 5]
The Venn diagram shows the number sets , , and . Place each of the following
numbers in the appropriate region of the Venn diagram.
1
, –3, π, – 0.3, 2.7 × 103, 3.4 × 10–2
4

2. [Maximum mark: 4]
(a) Write down the following numbers in increasing order.
3.5, 1.6 ×10−19, 60730, 6.073×105, 0.006073×106, π, 9.8×10−18. [3]
(b) State which of the numbers in part (a) is irrational. [1]

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 [MAI 1.1] NUMBERS – ROUNDING – PERCENTAGE ERROR

3. [Maximum mark: 8]
Let x = 1352 .406 and y = 0.0001352406
(a) State the value of x correct
(i) to 2dp. (ii) to 3sf. (iii) to 2sf. [3]
(b) State the value of y correct
(i) to 5dp. (ii) to 3sf. (iii) to 2sf. [3]
(c) State the value of x in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ . [1]
(d) State the value of y in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ . [1]

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4. [Maximum mark: 4]
(a) Given x = 2.6 × 104 and y = 5.0 × 10–8, calculate the value of w = x × y. Give your
answer in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ . [2]
(b) Which two of the following statements about the nature of x, y and w above are
incorrect?
(i) x∈ (ii) y∈ (iii) y∈
1
(iv) w<y (v) x+y∈ (vi) <x [2]
w

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 [MAI 1.1] NUMBERS – ROUNDING – PERCENTAGE ERROR

5. [Maximum mark: 4]
Let A = 4.5 × 10–3 and B = 6.2 × 10–4. Find
(a) AB; [2]
(b) 2(A + B). [2]
Give your answers in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ .

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6. [Maximum mark: 5]
Consider the following four numbers.
π
p = 0.00314 ; q = 0.00314 × 102 ; r= ; s = 3.14 × 10–2
1000
(a) One of these numbers is written in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ ..
Write down this number. [1]
(b) Write down the smallest of these numbers. [1]
(c) Write down the value of q + s. [2]
(d) Give your answer to part (c) in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ . [1]

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 [MAI 1.1] NUMBERS – ROUNDING – PERCENTAGE ERROR

7. [Maximum mark: 8]
Let m = 6.0 ×103 and n = 2.4 ×10–5.
(a) Express each of the following in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ .
m
(i) mn (ii) . (iii) m2 [6]
n
(b) Find the exact value of m + n [2]

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8. [Maximum mark: 8]
(a) The value of x correct to 3 sf is 34500. Find the range of the possible values of x. [2]
(b) The value of y correct to 3 sf is 0.0301. Find the range of the possible values of y. [2]
(c) The value of z correct to 2 dp is 15.30. Find the range of the possible values of z. [2]
(d) The value of w correct to 3 sf is 145. Find the range of the possible values of w. [2]

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 [MAI 1.1] NUMBERS – ROUNDING – PERCENTAGE ERROR

9. [Maximum mark: 4]
Calculate 3.7 × 16.22 – 500, writing your answer
(a) correct to two decimal places; [1]
(b) (i) correct to three significant figures;
(ii) in the form a × 10k, where 1 ≤ a < 10, k ∈ . [2]

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10. [Maximum mark: 6]

Let x = 7.94.
2 x +1
(a) Calculate the value of . [2]
x3
(b) (i) Give your answer correct to three decimal places.
(ii) Write your answer to (b)(i) as a percentage. [2]
(c) Give your answer to part (b)(i) in the form a × 10k, where 1≤ a <10, k ∈ . [2]

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 [MAI 1.1] NUMBERS – ROUNDING – PERCENTAGE ERROR

11. [Maximum mark: 6]

The total weight of 256 identical pencils is 4.24kg. Calculate the weight of one pencil,
in kg.
(a) Give your answer exactly. [2]
(b) Give your answer correct to three significant figures. [2]
(c) Write your answer to part (b) in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ . [2]

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12. [Maximum mark: 4]

(a) A girl’s height is 1.623 m. Write her height to the nearest cm. [1]
(b) The time taken to fill a tank was 2 hours 43 minutes. Write this time to the
nearest 5 minutes. [1]
(c) The attendance at a show was 2591 people. How many people, to the nearest
100, were at the show? [1]
(d) The mean distance of the Moon from the Earth is approximately 384 403 km.
Write this distance in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ . [1]

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 [MAI 1.1] NUMBERS – ROUNDING – PERCENTAGE ERROR

13. [Maximum mark: 4]

d2
Given that h = l2 − ,
4
(a) Calculate the exact value of h when l = 0.03625 and d = 0.05. [1]
(b) Write down the answer to part (a) correct to three decimal places. [1]
(c) Write down the answer to part (a) correct to three significant figures. [1]
(d) Write down the answer to part (a) in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ . [1]

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14. [Maximum mark: 4]

The value of x correct to 3 sf is 1230.
(a) Find the range of possible values of x. [2]

Ann estimates x2 with x correct to 3sf

Bob estimates x2 based on smallest possible value of x found in question (a).
(b) Find the difference between the two estimations. [2]

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 [MAI 1.1] NUMBERS – ROUNDING – PERCENTAGE ERROR

PERCENTAGE ERROR

15. Complete the following table

Exact Approximated Percentage error

value of x value of x (exact or in 3 sf)

100 103

100 97

103 100

97 100

1000 1003

10 13

34567 34600 (3sf)

0.34567 0.346 (3sf)

16. [Maximum mark: 6]

A problem has an exact answer of x = 0.1265. Find
(a) the exact value of x in the form a×10k where k is an integer and 1 ≤ a < 10. [2]
(b) the value of x given correct to two significant figures. [1]
(c) the percentage error if x is given correct to two significant figures. [3]

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 [MAI 1.1] NUMBERS – ROUNDING – PERCENTAGE ERROR

17. [Maximum mark: 6]

y
Given p = x – , x = 1.775, y = 1.44 and z = 48,
z
(a) Calculate the value of p. [2]

Barry first writes x, y and z correct to one significant figure and then uses these values
to estimate the value of p.
(b) (i) Write down x, y and z each correct to one significant figure.
(ii) Write down Barry’s estimate of the value of p. [2]
(c) Calculate the percentage error in Barry’s estimate of the value of p. [2]

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18. [Maximum mark: 6]

(3 × 2.1) 3
(a) Calculate exactly . [1]
7 × 1 .2
(b) Write the answer to part (a) correct to 2 significant figures. [1]
(c) Calculate the percentage error in the answer of (b) [2]
(d) Write your answer to part (c) in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ . [2]

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PROBLEMS

19. [Maximum mark: 6]

The following diagram shows a rectangle with sides of length 9.5×102 m and 1.6×103 m.

diagram not to scale

(a) Write down the area of the rectangle in the form a × 10k, where 1 ≤ a < 10, k ∈ . [3]

Helen’s estimate of the area of the rectangle is 1 600 000 m2.

(b) Find the percentage error in Helen’s estimate. [3]

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20. [Maximum mark: 4]

A rectangle has length 2.6 × 104 and width 1.9 × 104. Find each of the following, giving
your answer in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ .
(a) The area of the rectangle; [2]
(b) The perimeter of the rectangle. [2]

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21. [Maximum mark: 6]

77.2 × 33
(a) Calculate . [1]
3.60 × 2 2
(b) Express your answer to part (a) in the form a × 10k, where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k∈ . [2]
(c) Juan estimates the length of a carpet to be 12 metres and the width to be 8
metres. He then estimates the area of the carpet.
(i) Write down his estimated area of the carpet.

When the carpet is accurately measured it is found to have an area of 90 square

metres.
(ii) Calculate the percentage error made by Juan. [3]

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22. [Maximum mark: 5]

A rectangle is 2680 cm long and 1970 cm wide.
(a) Find the perimeter of the rectangle, giving your answer in the form a × 10k where
1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ . [2]
(b) Find the area of the rectangle, giving your answer correct to the nearest thousand
square centimetres. [3]

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23. [Maximum mark: 6]

3 2
A shipping container is a cuboid with dimensions 16 m, 1 m and 2 m.
4 3
(a) Calculate the exact volume of the container. Give your answer as a fraction. [3]

Jim estimates the dimensions of the container as 15 m, 2 m and 3 m and uses these to
estimate the volume of the container.
(b) Calculate the percentage error in Jim’s estimated volume of the container. [3]

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24. [Maximum mark: 4]

Using the formula V = π r2 (H – h), and your calculator value of π, calculate the value of V
when r = 4.26, H = 21.58 and h = 14.35.

(a) Give the full calculator display. [1]

(b) Give your answer to two decimal places. [1]
(c) Give your answer to two significant figures. [1]
(d) Write your answer to part (c) in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ . [1]

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25. [Maximum mark: 4]

S3
The volume of a sphere is V = , where S is its surface area.
36 π
The surface area of a sphere is 500 cm2.
(a) Calculate the volume of the sphere. Give your answer correct to two decimal
places. [2]
(b) Write down your answer to (a) correct to the nearest integer. [1]
(c) Write down your answer to (b) in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ . [1]

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26. [Maximum mark: 6]

In a television show there is a transparent box completely filled with identical cubes.
Participants have to estimate the number of cubes in the box. The box is 50 cm wide,
100 cm long and 40 cm tall.
(a) Find the volume of the box. [2]

Joaquin estimates the volume of one cube to be 500 cm3. He uses this value to
estimate the number of cubes in the box.
(b) Find Joaquin’s estimated number of cubes in the box. [2]

The actual number of cubes in the box is 350.

(c) Find the percentage error in Joaquin’s estimated number of cubes in the box. [2]

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27. [Maximum mark: 5]

A satellite travels around the Earth in a circular orbit 500 kilometres above the Earth’s
surface. The radius of the Earth is taken as 6400 kilometres.
(a) Write down the radius of the satellite’s orbit. [1]
(b) Calculate the distance travelled by the satellite in one orbit of the Earth.
Give your answer correct to the nearest km. [3]
(c) Write down your answer to (b) in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ . [1]

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28. [Maximum mark: 5]

The planet Earth takes one year to revolve around the Sun. Assume that a year is 365
days and the path of the Earth around the Sun is the circumference of a circle of radius
150 000 000 km.

diagram not to scale

(a) Calculate the distance travelled by the Earth in one day (answer in 3sf) [4]
(b) Give your answer to part (a) in the form a × 10k where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ . [1]

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