Place value
Place value is really important when building up numbers. The order the digits are written in a number determine its value.
A number can be made of more than one digit.
We use place value headings, like 'ones', 'tens', 'hundreds' and 'thousands' to help us understand the value of each digit.
Watch: Numbers to 1,000
Example 1
How do you represent the number 167 with a place value chart?
The number 167 is made of the digits 1, 6 and 7.
We can use a place value to chart to express the number 167 like this:
In other words, 1 hundred, 6 tens and 7 ones.
This number can also be represented in other ways without using numbers. Each pictorial representation in the slideshow below shows 167.
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Remember, if the digits were put in a different order, the number would change completely.
Example 2
Let's rearrange the digits 1, 6 and 7 into 671 to see how it changes the number.
Base 10
Place value counters
The same digits have been used but they are in a different order. Their value completely changes.
Example 3
Ellie wants to show the number 345 using place value counters. Can you help her?
The first thing you need to do is partition the number. That's 3 hundreds, 4 tens and 5 ones.
Now put them together to represent 345.
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Activity 1
Dinosaur digits
Click on the image below to see if you can make the correct number.
Activity 2
Activity 3
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