Remember, when we estimate we are making a guess at the answer – not a wild guess but an educated guess.
A good estimate is an estimate that is close to the real answer.
The children in St Vincent’s primary school collected €5478 for charity. The children in Scoil Caitriona collected €7621 for the same charity. Estimate the difference between the two sums of money collected. Discuss your estimate with your partner. Did you make a ‘wild guess’ or an ‘ educated guess’?
Remember: When using bigger numbers we round to the nearest 100. Example: €7621 – €5478 = ?
€7621 rounds down to €7600. €5478 rounds up to €5500.
We know that €7600 – €5500 = €2100. Now let’s work out the answer properly to see how good our estimate was!
Th H T U 7 6 2 1
5 11 1
– 5 4 7 8 2 1 4 3
Our estimate – €2100 – is close to €2143, so it is a good estimate.
Now try these. Estimate the answer first and then work out the exact answer on your calculator.