Decimal Place Value
Decimals practice
Identify decimal digits and trade equivalent counts between tenths, hundredths and thousandths.
Decimals practice
Identify decimal digits and trade equivalent counts between tenths, hundredths and thousandths.
Name the digit in a place, or say how many of one place make another.
Some questions ask which digit is in the tenths, hundredths or thousandths place, like the hundredths place of 4.801. The number may be greater than 1, and it may have zeros in it, so the answer can be 0.
Others ask how many of one place equal another, like 4 tenths = ___ hundredths. These go both ways, between tenths, hundredths and thousandths.
Typical level: Grade 4 and beyondIn the U.S. Common Core, Grade 4 introduces tenths and hundredths, and Grade 5 extends place value to thousandths. Curriculum timing varies.
The decimal point separates the ones place from the tenths place. The places after it are tenths, hundredths, then thousandths.
Example: 3.052
| Ones | Decimal point | Tenths | Hundredths | Thousandths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | |
| One one is worth 1 | One tenth is worth 0.1 | One hundredth is worth 0.01 | One thousandth is worth 0.001 |
When the question asks for the hundredths digit of 3.052, enter 5, not its value, 0.05.
The zero is a placeholder. It keeps the 5 in the hundredths place. Without it, 3.52 has a 5 in the tenths place, which is a different number.
Each place to the right is worth one-tenth as much as the place before it. So a hundredth is one-tenth of a tenth, and a thousandth is one-tenth of a hundredth.
1 tenth is worth 10 hundredths, and 1 hundredth is worth 10 thousandths. Counting in the next smaller place multiplies the count by 10.
7 tenths = 70 hundredths = 700 thousandths
These all name the same amount, 0.7. Smaller units take a larger count.
From tenths to thousandths is two places: 10 × 10 = 100, so multiply the count by 100.
Going the other way takes the trade backward. For 70 hundredths = ___ tenths, ask how many groups of 10 hundredths are in 70. Each group makes 1 tenth, and 70 ÷ 10 = 7, so the answer is 7.