myLearning

Step 6 · Long division and equivalent fractions topics

See that each place is worth ten times the place to its right, read and write numbers up to one million, and compare and round them.

Each place is ten times the one to its right

In 3,333 every digit is a 3, but each one is worth a different amount. Moving one place to the left makes a digit worth ten times as much.

One hundred is 10 tens, and one ten is 10 ones: each place is worth ten of the place to its right.
Hundred thousandsTen thousandsThousandsHundredsTensOnes
472508

In 472,508 the 7 is in the ten thousands place, so it is worth 70,000. The 2 is worth 2,000, ten times less. The 0 holds the tens place empty.

Example: Ten times as much

In 5,500, how many times bigger is the first 5 than the second?

  1. The first 5 is worth 5,000.
  2. The second 5 is worth 500.
  3. 5,000 ÷ 500 = 10.

Answer10 times

Reading and writing big numbers

Commas split a big number into groups of three digits, counting from the right. Read the group before the comma, say "thousand", then read the rest.

Example: Reading a number

Read 306,045 aloud.

  1. Before the comma: 306, three hundred six.
  2. Say "thousand".
  3. After the comma: 045, forty-five.

AnswerThree hundred six thousand, forty-five

Expanded form writes a number as the sum of its places: 306,045 = 300,000 + 6,000 + 40 + 5. And 1,000 thousands make one million, written 1,000,000.

Comparing and rounding

To compare, line up the places and find the first place where the digits differ. 58,312 and 58,129 match until the hundreds: 3 hundreds beats 1 hundred, so 58,312 is greater.

To round, look at the digit just to the right of the place you are rounding to. 5 or more rounds up; 4 or less rounds down.

Example: Rounding to the nearest thousand

Round 47,682 to the nearest thousand.

  1. It is between 47,000 and 48,000.
  2. The digit to the right of the thousands is 6, in the hundreds.
  3. 6 is 5 or more, so round up.

Answer48,000

47,682 is nearer 48,000 than 47,000.

Try it yourself

Work each one on paper first, then open the answer to check.

  1. What is the value of the 6 in 368,214?

    Show answer

    60,000.

  2. Write in digits: two hundred five thousand, thirty.

    Show answer

    205,030.

  3. Write 72,409 in expanded form.

    Show answer

    70,000 + 2,000 + 400 + 9.

  4. Which is greater, 90,999 or 109,000?

    Show answer

    109,000. It has six digits; 90,999 has only five.

  5. Round 834,516 to the nearest ten thousand.

    Show answer

    830,000. The thousands digit is 4, so round down.

What next?