Help with rounding these numbers?

[TheAmandalarson]

I get math worksheets that say:
Estimate the answer by rounding each number to its greatest place: 62 times 43
When I multiplied 62 and 43 together, I got 2666 and when I rounded it I got 3000.
When I was graded I was told I was wrong and that the answer was 2400.

Same when I multiplied 71 and 24 together, I got 1704 and rounded it to 1600.
Once again, I was wrong and the correct answer was 1400.

Can someone explain to me what I'm doing wrong?
After I multiply them I round up or down depending on the second number.

 

[mmm4444bot]

by rounding each number to its greatest place

I'm thinking that the phrase "each number" refers to the individual factors, not their product.

In other words, round the factors before multiplying them together.

62 times 43 becomes 60 times 40.

71 times 24 becomes 70 times 20.

This is one method for people to estimate products in their head -- by rounding the numbers before multiplying them.

I mean, you already know that 6 times 4 is 24, in your head, so multiplying 10x6 by 10x4 is as easy as 6x4x100, or 2400.

 

[TheAmandalarson]

Thank you! I don't know why I didn't think of that.