Chemistry Music Video 3: Where The Heck To Round

This song describes the techniques used to round off answers to addition and subtraction problems as well as multiplication and division problems. All music and lyrics copyright 2007 by Mark Rosengarten. All rights reserved.

Lyrics:

Scientific method is something really sweet
Collecting lots of data can make your life complete
Analyzing data means you get to make a graph
Before you reach conclusions you might need to do some math!

You take the measured numbers, and substitute them in
Into a math equation, calculations can begin
You check your calculator and you write the answer down
But heres the great big question, where the heck to round?

When adding or subtracting numbers right there in your face
Look for the one thats least precise and round it to that place
If you have some measurements to multiply or divide
Round to the fewest sig figs counting from the leftward side

If you add two numbers up, dont sit there looking tense
Lets say ones to the hundredths place, the other to the tenths
3.25 plus 3.3 gives us 6.55
Now its time to round it off, and still get out alive!

3.25s measurement precise to hundredths place
But 3.3 is to the tenths, thats less by one space
Round your answer to the place that goes the least far out
To the tenths, thats 6.6, thats what its all about!

When adding or subtracting numbers right there in your face
Look for the one thats least precise and round it to that place
If you have some measurements to multiply or divide
Round to the fewest sig figs counting from the leftward side

Now you have two numbers that you need to multiply
3.5 X 9.95, watch your fingers fly
Across your calculator, here comes the answer, live!
What flashes quick upon the screen? 38.825

3.5 has two sig figs, 9.95 has three
So you must round to two sig figs, because its less, you see
So you count in two sig figs from the leftwards side
Your answer rounds to 39, this roundings quite a ride!

When adding or subtracting numbers right there in your face
Look for the one thats least precise and round it to that place
If you have some measurements to multiply or divide
Round to the fewest sig figs counting from the leftward side

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• science
• physics
• chemistry
• sig
• figs
• significant
• figures
• rounding
• math
• problem
• solving
• rosengarten

[7adz]

There is a mistake 9.95 X 3.5 equals 34.something not 38!!!

[sciencegenius123]

Great video, but I was wondering whether or not there was an error in the video at 0:45. For 32.7 + 1, the answer is 33.7 but in the video it was rounded down to 33. Is it supposed to be rounded up to 34 instead, or is it just supposed to be rounded down?

[BlueElemental]

@sciencegenius123 according to the sig fig rounding rule showed here the ones place which is the 1 doesn't go as far out as 32.7 its less so you round to the ones place so your answer would be 33 not 34. Hope that helped :)

[MrMorganFarts2]

this helped a lot thank you sir!!

[BeautyHeartBaby]

Love it! :)

[ibiwalovesanime]

gosh YouTube, not using SigFigs are we? it should be 42 likes and 4.0 dislikes!

[ITMANcrafter]

like the music :D

[xoxo24811]

lmao my chem teacher showed this to us today :p

[tokitahotela]

@CheifGokuC mine does in chemistry