Revision of Chapter 5 – Approximation and Errors (LQ) Page 1

Kwok Tak Seng Catholic Secondary School

F.3 Mathematics
Revision of Chapter 5 – Approximation and Errors – Long Question

1 The weight of an orange is 200 g (correct to the nearest 10 g). Find

(a) the maximum absolute error,

(b) the maximum relative error,
(c) the maximum percentage error.
10 g
(a) Maximum absolute error = =5g
2
5
(b) Maximum relative error = = 0.025
200

(c) Maximum percentage error = 0.025 × 100% = 2.5%

2 The exchange rate of Australian dollar to Hong Kong dollar is A$1 = HK$5.238.

(a) If John imports some wool which costs A$3 000, how much Hong Kong dollars should he pay for the wool?
(b) How much Australian dollars can HK$1 be changed to?
(Give the answers correct to 3 sig. fig.)
(a) Cost of the wool = A$3 000

= HK$(3 000 ×5.238)

= HK$15 714

= HK$15 700 (cor. to 3 sig. fig)

1
(b) HK$1 = A$
5.238

= A$0.190 9…

= A$0.191 (cor. to 3 sig. fig.)

3 In a trip, Michael rides 1 200 m in 35 minutes and then walks 1 200 m in 50 minutes. On the average,
(a) how far does he go in an hour?
(b) how far does he go in a minute?
(Give the answers correct to 4 sig. fig.)
1 200 +1 200
(a) Average distance in an hour = m
35 +50
60
60
= 2 400 × m
85

= 1 694.117…m

= 1 694 m (cor. to 4 sig. fig.)

1 200 +1 200
(b) Average distance in a minute = m
35 +50
2 400
= m
85

= 28.235…m

= 28.24 m (cor. to 4 sig. fig.)

4 Find the sizes of

(a) an exterior angle,

(b) an interior angle
of a regular 11-sided polygon.
(Give the answers correct to 3 sig. fig.)
Revision of Chapter 5 – Approximation and Errors (LQ) Page 2

(a) Exterior angle of a regular 11-sided polygon

360°
= (ext. ∠ of a regular polgon)
11

= 32.727 2…°

= 32.7° (cor. to 3 sig. fig.)

(b) Interior angle of a regular 11-sided polygon

= 180° − 32.727 2…° (adj. ∠s on st. line)

= 147.272 7…°

= 147° (cor. to 3 sig. fig.)

5 Four interior angles of a pentagon are 106.57°, 81.20°, 98.77° and 122.64°. Find the fifth interior angle correct to

(a) 1 d.p.,
(b) the nearest degree,
(c) 2 sig. fig.

(a) Sum of interior angles of a pentagon = ( 5 − 2 ) × 180° = 540°

The fifth interior angle = 540° − 106.57° − 81.20°− 98.77° − 122.64°

= 130.82°

= 130.8° (cor. to 1 d.p.)

(b) The fifth interior angle = 130.82°

= 131° (cor. to the nearest degree)

(c) The fifth interior angle = 130.82°

= 130° (cor. to 2 sig. fig.)

6 Let p = 57 000 000 and q = 2 000 000. Express the following in scientific notation.

(a) p and q,
(b) pq,
(c) p + q.
(a) p = 57 000 000

= 5.7 × 107

q = 2 000 000

= 2 × 106

(b) pq = (5.7 × 107) × (2 × 106)

= (5.7 × 2) × 107+6

= 11.4 × 1013

= 1.14 × 1014

(c) p + q = 5.7 × 107+ 2 × 106

= 5.7 × 107+ 0.2 × 107

= 5.9 × 107

7 (a) Convert 109 hours to days and round off the result correct to the nearest day.

(b) If Mike told his teacher that he spent 5 days (correct to the nearest day) on studying last month,
(i) how many hours at least did Mike study last month?
(ii) how many hours at most did Mike study last month?
Revision of Chapter 5 – Approximation and Errors (LQ) Page 3
109
(a) 109 h = days
24
13
=4 days
24
= 5 days (cor. to the nearest day)
1
(b) (i) Lower limit of studying time = (5 − ×1) days = 4.5 days
2
∴Minimum studying time = 4.5 ×
24 h = 108 h
1
(ii) Upper limit of studying time = (5 + ×1) days = 5.5 days
2
∴Maximum studying time = 5.5 ×
24 h = 132 h

8 The populations of Hong Kong in 1990 and 1991 were 5 704 500 and 5 754 700 respectively. Suppose the percentage
change in the population of Hong Kong remains unchanged each year.

(a) Find the percentage increase in the population of Hong Kong from 1990 to 1991.
(b) Calculate the population of Hong Kong in each of the years 1988 to 1998. (Give the answers correct to the nearest
integer.)
(c) The population of Hong Kong was 5 709 812 in 1996. Find the percentage error in the population of Hong Kong in
1996 found in (b). (Give the answer correct to 2 sig. fig.)
(a) Percentage increase in the population of Hong Kong from 1990 to 1991
5 754 700 − 5 704 500
= ×
100%
5 704 500
= 0.88%
(b) (The following answers are correct to the nearest integer.)
Year Population
1988 5 605 410
1989 5 654 738
1990 5 704 500
1991 5 754 700
1992 5 805 341
1993 5 856 428
1994 5 907 965
1995 5 959 955
1996 6 012 402
1997 6 065 311
1998 6 118 686
(c) Percentage error
6 012 402 − 5 709 812
= ×
100%
5 709 812
= 5.3%(cor. to 2 sig. fig.)

9 The length and the width of a rectangle are measured to be 3.9 cm and 4.4 cm respectively. If the actual dimensions are 4
cm × 4.5 cm, find the percentage errors of the following.

(a) The width

(b) The length
(c) The area
4.5 −4.4 2
(a) Percentage error in the width = ×100%= 2 %
4. 5 9
4 −3.9
(b) Percentage error in the length = ×100%= 2.5%
4
4 ×4.5 −3.9 ×4.4
(c) Percentage error in the area = ×100%
4 ×4.5
18 −17.16
= ×100%
18
2
=4 %
3
Revision of Chapter 5 – Approximation and Errors (LQ) Page 4

10 John uses a ruler to measure a parallelogram with base 28 cm and height 12 cm. The base and height measured by him
are 30 cm and 10 cm respectively.

(a) Find the absolute error of the base.

(b) Find the relative error of the height.
(c) John uses his measurements to calculate the area of the parallelogram. Find the percentage error of the area correct
to 3 sig. fig.
(a) Absolute error of the base = 30 cm − 28 cm = 2 cm
12 −10 1
(b) Relative error of the height = =
12 6
(c) Actual area = 28 × 12 cm2 = 336 cm2

Area calculated from his measurements = 30 × 10 cm2 = 300 cm2

336 −300
∴ Percentage error of the area = × 100%
336
= 10.7% (cor. to 3 sig. fig.)

11 A bottle with a capacity of 720 mL (correct to 2 sig. fig.) is filled with orange juice.

(a) How many small glasses with a capacity of 55 mL (correct to the nearest mL) can be filled at most?
(b) How many large glasses with a capacity of 100 mL (correct to the nearest 10 mL) can be filled at least?
1
(a) Upper limit of the capacity of the bottle = (720 + × 10) mL = 725 mL
2
1
Lower limit of the capacity of a small glass = (55 −× 1) mL = 54.5 mL
2
∴Maximum number of small glasses filled = 725 ÷
54.5 ≈
13
1
(b) Lower limit of the capacity of the bottle = (720 −× 10) mL = 715 mL
2
1
Upper limit of the capacity of a large glass = (100 + × 10) mL = 105 mL
2
∴Minimum number of large glasses filled = 715 ÷
105 ≈
6