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How to Truncate Numbers

Number truncating indicates the mathematical operation of rounding. Rounding reduces the number of digits in numeric values to make them easier to work with. Many values can be determined or calculated with a limited precision; for example, rounding numbers to the nearest hundredth (0.01). Keeping extra digits in the number beyond a certain point is not only inconvenient, but often unnecessary.

Instructions

- 1
  Decide to which digit you want to round a number. For example, round the number 12.737147 to the nearest hundredth, which means that the number is to be truncated at the second digit after the decimal point (3).
- 2
  Analyze the next digit in the number to determine if it is less than or greater than five. In this example, the next digit to "3" is "7," which is greater than five.
- 3
  Add one to the last digit in the rounded number if the next digit is five or greater, otherwise leave the last digit unchanged. In this example, add 1 to the second digit after the decimal point, making the number 12.74.
- 4
  Replace all the numbers beyond the number you decided to round to with zeros. In this example, rounding 12.737147 to the nearest hundredth results in 12.740000 or 12.74

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