Limits of Accuracy

What are they?

Any measurement we make is rounded to

some degree of accuracy or other
Nearest metre
Nearest litre
The degree of rounding gives the possible
values of the measurement before rounding
For example
A lighthouse is 76m 77
tall, measured to
75.5 Height < 76.5
the nearest metre
76.49999999999999999..
76.5

Limits of
76 Accuracy

75.5

75
Example 2
A car is 2.6m long, measured
correct to 1 decimal place
The range of values
between the Upper &
Lower Bounds is often
referred to as
the rounding error

2.55 Length < 2.65

2.50 2.55 2.6

2.60 2.65 2.70
Lower Bound Upper Bound
Problems involving accuracy

When we calculate an area or a volume, the

errors in the measurements will give an even
larger error

For example, a room is

measured as 6.4 x 4.3 metres,
measured to 1 decimal place.

Calculate the Limits of

Accuracy of the area of the room
6.35m 6.4m 6.45m
4.35m
4.3m
4.25m
MINIMUM AREA

6.35 x 4.25
= 26.9875m2
= 26.99m2 (2 dp)
 Limits of Accuracy
6.35m 6.4m 6.45m 26.99 Area < 28.06 m2
4.35m
4.3m
4.25m
MAXIMUM AREA

6.45 x 4.35
= 28.0575 m2
= 28.06 m2 (2 dp)
Val is in training for a 400 metre race. He states that he can
run 400 metres in 44 seconds. Both of these measurements
are given to two significant figures. Find his maximum speed.

395 m 400 m 405 m

43.5 s 44 s 44.5 s
Max speed = Greatest distance
Shortest Time
speed = 405
speed = distance
43.5
time
speed = 9.3103 m/s
Max speed is
speed = 9.3 m/s (1 dp) the Greatest distance
in the Shortest Time