what is 1.086 rounded to the nearest whole number
The correct answer and explanation is:
The number 1.086 rounded to the nearest whole number is 1.
Explanation:
Rounding is a method used to reduce the digits in a number while keeping its value close to what it was. When rounding to the nearest whole number (also called the nearest integer), you look at the digit in the first decimal place (the tenths place) to decide whether to round the number up or down.
Here’s the step-by-step process for rounding 1.086 to the nearest whole number:
- Identify the whole number part:
The whole number part of 1.086 is 1. - Look at the digit immediately to the right of the decimal point:
The first decimal place is 0 (in 1.086, the digits after the decimal are 0, 8, and 6). - Apply the rounding rule:
- If the digit in the tenths place is 5 or greater, round up the whole number by 1.
- If the digit is less than 5, keep the whole number as it is.
Since the digit in the tenths place here is 0, which is less than 5, we do not round up.
- Final result:
The number 1.086 rounded to the nearest whole number remains 1.
Why rounding matters:
Rounding helps simplify numbers so they’re easier to use or understand, especially in everyday situations like estimating costs, measuring distances, or reporting statistics. It balances accuracy with simplicity. When you round 1.086 to 1, you lose some precision but keep the number close enough to its original value for many practical purposes.
For example, if you’re measuring something that’s just a bit over 1 unit, you might say it’s about 1 unit rather than quoting the exact 1.086, which might be unnecessarily detailed.
Additional notes:
- If the number had been 1.586, since the first decimal digit is 5 or higher, you would round up to 2.
- For other rounding levels (like to the nearest tenth or hundredth), you would look at different decimal places.
In summary, 1.086 rounded to the nearest whole number is 1 because the first digit after the decimal point is less than 5.