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The Foundation of All Numbers
The Foundation of All Numbers
Imagine you have Ā£537 in your wallet. The first digit (5) represents Ā£500 - five hundred pounds! The last digit (7) represents just Ā£7 - seven pounds. Same digit (5 and 7), but completely different values based on their POSITION. This is the magic of place value - it's what makes our entire number system work, and it's the foundation you need to master before tackling any other maths topic.
What is place value?: Place value is the value a digit has because of its position in a number. Each column is worth 10Ć the column to its right.
Mathematics glossary
- What is place value?
- Place value is the value a digit has because of its position in a number. Each column is worth 10Ć the column to its right.
Place Value Columns
Each column is worth 10Ć the column to its right:
Earn the mark scheme marks
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
ā "Longer decimals are bigger"
Students often think 0.8 < 0.75 because 75 > 8
Fix: Always line up decimal points! 0.8 = 0.80, and 80 > 75
ā "Negative numbers work like positive numbers"
Students might think -8 > -3 because 8 > 3
Fix: Remember the number line! -3 is closer to zero, so -3 > -8
ā "Forgetting zero as a placeholder"
Writing "three thousand and five" as 35 instead of 3005
Fix: Use zeros to hold empty place value positions!
ā "Confusion between tenths and tens"
Mixing up 0.7 (seven tenths) with 70 (seven tens)
Fix: The decimal point is the key! Left = whole, right = parts
Now try it yourself
Quiz Ā· Question 1 of 13
What is the value of the digit 7 in the number 47,362?
Tap an answer to check it