Third Grade Math - Place Value up to Ten Thousands

What is place value?

Place value is the value of a digit based on its position in a number. Each place shows how much the digit is worth.

Example:

In the number 4,562:
- 4 is in the thousands place → it means 4,000
- 5 is in the hundreds place → it means 500
- 6 is in the tens place → it means 60
- 2 is in the ones place → it means 2

Note

Each step to the left is worth ten times more. Each step to the right is worth ten times less.

To identify place value, look at the position of the digit and match it to its place: ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, or ten thousands.

Steps:

Note

You can use a place value chart to help line up the digits correctly.

Numbers can be written in standard form, expanded form, and word form.

Examples:

Note

Writing numbers in different forms helps you understand the value of each digit more clearly.

You can compare numbers by looking at the largest place first. Bigger digits in the higher places make a larger number.

Examples:

9,426 is greater than 9,264 because the hundreds digit (4) is larger than 2.
To order: 7,325; 8,014; 7,892 → 7,325 < 7,892 < 8,014

Note

Always compare digits from left to right. Start with the highest place value.

Rounding means finding a nearby number that is easier to work with, usually ending in zero. You round to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand.

Examples:

Note

If the digit is 5 or more, round up. If it is 4 or less, round down.