How should height be rounded when measuring height for screening?

How should height be rounded when measuring height for screening?

• A. If the height fraction is less than half an inch, round down to the nearest whole inch.
• B. If the height fraction is less than half an inch, round up to the nearest whole inch.
• C. Always round to the nearest even inch.
• D. Round to the nearest tenth of an inch.

Answer: (A)

Height for screening is recorded in whole inches using a standard rounding rule: if the fraction of an inch is less than 0.5, round down to the previous whole inch; if it is 0.5 or more, round up to the next whole inch. That’s why rounding down when the height fraction is less than half an inch is the best approach. For example, 65 inches plus 3/8 inch stays 65 inches, while 65 inches plus 1/2 inch would round to 66 inches. Rounding to tenths of an inch or to the nearest even inch isn’t used in this screening context, and rounding up when the fraction is less than half would inflate height consistently.

Height for screening is recorded in whole inches using a standard rounding rule: if the fraction of an inch is less than 0.5, round down to the previous whole inch; if it is 0.5 or more, round up to the next whole inch. That’s why rounding down when the height fraction is less than half an inch is the best approach. For example, 65 inches plus 3/8 inch stays 65 inches, while 65 inches plus 1/2 inch would round to 66 inches. Rounding to tenths of an inch or to the nearest even inch isn’t used in this screening context, and rounding up when the fraction is less than half would inflate height consistently.