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Place Value: First, Let's Have An Example

The document discusses decimal numbers and place value. Decimal numbers contain a decimal point and each position to the left or right of the point represents a power of ten. The decimal point separates the whole number part from fractional parts like tenths, hundredths, etc. Decimal numbers allow writing any size number using digits and a consistent place value system.

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Jay Bolano
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73 views5 pages

Place Value: First, Let's Have An Example

The document discusses decimal numbers and place value. Decimal numbers contain a decimal point and each position to the left or right of the point represents a power of ten. The decimal point separates the whole number part from fractional parts like tenths, hundredths, etc. Decimal numbers allow writing any size number using digits and a consistent place value system.

Uploaded by

Jay Bolano
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A Decimal Number (based on the number 

10) contains a Decimal


Point.

First, let's have an example:

Here is the number "forty-five and six-tenths" written as a decimal


number:

The decimal point goes between Ones and Tenths.

45.6 has 4 Tens, 5 Ones and 6 Tenths, like this:

Now, let's discover how it all works ...

Place Value
It is all about Place Value !

When we write numbers, the position (or "place") of each digit


is important.

In the number 327:

 the "7" is in the Ones position, meaning 7 ones (which is 7),


 the "2" is in the Tens position meaning 2 tens (which is twenty),
 and the "3" is in the Hundreds position, meaning 3 hundreds.

"Three Hundred Twenty Seven"


As we move left, each position is 10 times bigger!
Tens are 10 times bigger than Ones
 
Hundreds are 10 times bigger than Tens

... and ...

As we move right, each position is 10 times smaller.


From Hundreds, to Tens, to Ones  
But what if we continue past Ones?

  What is 10 times smaller than Ones?

110ths (Tenths) are!

But we must first put a decimal point,


 
so we know exactly where the Ones position is:
"three hundred twenty seven and four tenths"

but we usually just say "three hundred twenty seven point four"

And that is a Decimal Number!


 

We can continue with smaller and smaller values, from tenths, to hundredths,


and so on, like in this example:

Have a play with decimal numbers yourself:

3.1416

Three Point One Four One Six


© 2015 MathsIsFun.com v 0.81
Large and Small
So, our Decimal System lets us write numbers as large or as small as we want,
using the decimal point. Digits can be placed to the left or right of a decimal
point, to show values greater than one or less than one.

The decimal point is the most important part of a Decimal Number. Without it


we are lost, and don't know what each position means.

17 591
        
On the left of the decimal
point is a    
whole number (such as 17)
As we move further left,
every place gets 10 times        
bigger.
         
The first digit on the right
    means
tenths (1/10).
As we move further right,
every place gets 10 times
       
smaller
(one tenth as big).

Zoom into decimals ...


See decimals on the Zoomable Number Line

Definition of Decimal
The word "Decimal" really means "based on 10" (From Latin decima: a
tenth part).

We sometimes say "decimal" when we mean anything to do with our numbering


system, but a "Decimal Number" usually means there is a Decimal Point.

Ways to think about Decimal


Numbers ...
... as a Whole Number Plus Tenths, Hundredths, etc

We can think of a decimal number as a whole number plus tenths, hundredths,


etc:

Example 1: What is 2.3 ?

 On the left side is "2", that is the whole number part.


 The 3 is in the "tenths" position, meaning "3 tenths", or 3/10
 So, 2.3 is "2 and 3 tenths"

Example 2: What is 13.76 ?

 On the left side is "13", that is the whole number part.


 There are two digits on the right side, the 7 is in the "tenths"
position, and the 6 is the "hundredths" position
 So, 13.76 is "13 and 7 tenths and 6 hundredths"

... as a Decimal Fraction

Or we can think of a decimal number as a Decimal Fraction.

A Decimal Fraction is a fraction where the denominator (the bottom number) is


a number such as 10, 100, 1000, etc (in other words a power of ten)

So "2.3" looks like: 2310


   
And "13.76" looks
1376100
like:
 

... as a Whole Number and Decimal Fraction

Or we can think of a decimal number as a Whole Number plus a Decimal


Fraction.

So "2.3" looks like: 2 and 310


   
And "13.76" looks 13
like: and 76100

Those are all good ways to think of decimal numbers.

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