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Question: Evalf and right click + approx both approximate incorrectly?

Question:Evalf and right click + approx both approximate incorrectly?

janbs 10 Maple
August 15 2014
2

Greetings

I am left wondering why evalf as well as right clicking and selecting approximate both are in error.

Try 1/2*sqrt(109) and find a solution with 5 digits (english isnt my first language so the wording may not be correct).

If you calculate it as 1/2*sqrt(109.0) you correctly get 5.2202

However, if you use evalf(1/2*sqrt(109)) or 1/2*sqrt(109) then right click and approximate with 5 digits you incorrectly get 5.2200.

I assume this is because both incorrectly round to 5 digits on sqrt(109) before dividing by 2 - a common mistake for very inexperienced students but surely not something I would expect from Maple.

Please explain and better yet fix. Thanks.
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