Expert: Abe Mantell - 8/5/2011

Question
Hello:

Is 9.1% and 9.10% the same? For example, if the employment rate is 9.10% can this percentage be represented as 9.1% and have the same meaning? Why use the zero in 9.10%

I thank you for your reply.

Answer
Hello,

Numerically 9.1 and 9.10 are the same.  However, they imply two different
accuracies.  9.1 could be exact, or it could have been rounded off to the
nearest tenth.  In other words, the actual percentage may have been 9.05 or
9.149999 - in either case they get rounded to 9.1 (to the nearest tneth).
For 9.10, we know it could not have been 9.05 or 9.149999, since the zero
shows rounded to the nearest hundredth.  9.10 could be exact, or it could
have been 9.095 or 9.1049999 - in either case they get rounded to the 9.10
(to the nearest hundredth).  So the 9.10 reveals greater accuracy than does
the 9.1.

See now?

Abe