Place Value
4 minQuiz at the end
What is Place Value?
Place value is the value of a digit based on its position in a number. The same digit means different things in different positions.
The Place Value Chart
| Millions | Hundred-thousands | Ten-thousands | Thousands | Hundreds | Tens | Ones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000,000 | 100,000 | 10,000 | 1,000 | 100 | 10 | 1 |
In the number 3,742:
- 3 is in the thousands place β value = 3,000
- 7 is in the hundreds place β value = 700
- 4 is in the tens place β value = 40
- 2 is in the ones place β value = 2
Expanded Form
Writing a number in expanded form shows each digit's value:
- 43,265 = 40,000 + 3,000 + 200 + 60 + 5
Why Place Value Matters
Place value is the foundation for:
- Reading and writing large numbers
- Comparing numbers (which is bigger?)
- Performing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
- Understanding decimals (tenths, hundredths, thousandths)
Comparing Numbers
To compare two numbers, line up the digits by place value and look at the highest place first:
- 4,827 vs 4,391 β both have 4 thousands, so look at hundreds: 8 > 3, so 4,827 > 4,391