Originally Posted by
Scotty0604
A. 17000
B. 1700
C. 170
D. 17
Whereby you would select the closest approximation, it’s hard when you have precise number but when you start rounding, you can get it in seconds so realistically you’re only calculating 14000/8.
What some older posters may overlook is that with the proliferation of calculators on everything nowadays, mental maths in now young adults may not be as well developed as it was in the days of yore.
I subtly teach my kids tricks like this. In car trips, hiking etc. We're doing 100kmh, it's 60km to the next town, a lolly for the closest ETA in the next 5 seconds sort of thing- and they need to approximate.
Additionally it increases the chances of finding finger error when using the calculator on more complicated stuff, which might make the answer an order of magnitude out. If they are using the calculator for a homework task I ask them what should the answer be, roughly.