The position of each digit in a number is important.
Each position has a different place value.
As you move left (👈), each place value is 10 times bigger than the one on its right.
As you move right (👉), each place value gets 10 times smaller.
Are there any place values smaller than the Ones place? 🤔
Let's see. What happens when we divide 1 by 10?
We get a fraction.
Math people write this fraction as a decimal, 0.1!
0.1 = 1/10 = One tenth
The decimal point . shows digits with values less than 1.
If we divide 0.1 by 10 again, we get an even smaller decimal:
0.01 = One hundredth
0.01 is the same as the fraction 1/100!
Decimals are numbers with parts smaller than 1. They use a decimal point, like 0.4, or 9.99.
Tip: Decimals are just a convenient way to write fractions.
For example, 0.4 is equal to 4/10.
We can divide any decimal by 10 to get an even smaller decimal:
0.01 ÷ 10 = 0.001 = One thousandth
Digits further to the right 👉 of decimal points have smaller and smaller values.
0.0001 = One ten-thousandth
Whole numbers are positive numbers without decimal parts, like 1, 2, and 10.
72.4
The 4 above is in the Tenths place.
The digit in the Tenths place is just right of the decimal point.
Its value is a multiple of 1/10.
Note that the Tenths place is different from the Tens place.
Each part above is 1/10 of a whole, or 0.1.
0.4 is 4 of these parts, or 4/10.
We can read decimals out loud like:
seventy-two and four tenths
or
seventy-two point four
Let's add another digit to our number.
72.46
6 above is in the Hundredths place.
Tip: This is different from the Hundreds place, no 'th'.
Imagine one whole divided into 100 parts.
0.06 is equal to 6 of these tiny parts out of 100.
We read the decimal 72.46 out loud as:
"Seventy-two and forty-six hundredths"
We don't say:
"Seventy-two and four tenths and six hundredths" ❌
When reading decimals out loud, say all the parts after the decimal point as one number, and then say the place value of the rightmost (👉) digit after that.
"0.01 = one hundredth
0.11 = eleven hundredths
0.211 = two hundred eleven thousandths"
For short, you can also just say:
0.01 = "zero point zero one"
0.11 = "zero point one one"
0.211 = "zero point two one one"
Now, try the practice. It'll help you understand and remember more.