Identifying Digit Places
Grade 4 students learn to identify digit places in Saxon Math Intermediate 4 Chapter 1 by counting positions from the right. The first position from the right is the ones place, the second is the tens place, and the third is the hundreds place. In 935, the 9 is in the hundreds place with value 900 (9 × 100). Students distinguish between a digit's place (its position name) and its value (what it is worth). A 4 in the tens place has value 40; a 4 in the hundreds place has value 400.
Key Concepts
Property To identify a digit's place value, count its position from the right. The sequence is ones, then tens, then hundreds. The third position from the right is always the hundreds place.
Examples In the number $753$, the digit $7$ is in the third position from the right, which is the hundreds place. In the number $65$, the digit $6$ is in the second position from the right, making it the tens place. In the number $623$, the digit $6$ is in the third position from the right, so it is in the hundreds place.
Explanation It is like finding your seat in a theater! The first seat on the right is 'ones,' the next is 'tens,' and the third is 'hundreds.' Just count from the right to discover each digit's mighty value.
Common Questions
How do you identify the place value of a digit in a number?
Count the digit's position from the right end of the number. First from right = ones place, second = tens place, third = hundreds place, fourth = thousands place, and so on.
What is the value of the digit 9 in the number 935?
Count from the right: 5 is in position 1 (ones), 3 is in position 2 (tens), 9 is in position 3 (hundreds). The value of 9 in the hundreds place is 9 × 100 = 900.
What is the difference between a digit's place and its value?
The place is the name of the position (ones, tens, hundreds). The value is what the digit is actually worth in that position. In 385, the digit 8 is in the tens place (place) and is worth 80 (value).
Why do we count place values from the right, not the left?
The ones place is always the rightmost digit, and place values increase as you move left. Counting from the right ensures consistency: the ones digit is always first, regardless of how many digits the number has.
In the number 7,429, what is the value of the digit in the hundreds place?
Count from right: 9 (ones), 2 (tens), 4 (hundreds), 7 (thousands). The digit in the hundreds place is 4. Its value is 4 × 100 = 400.
How many place value positions are in a six-digit number?
A six-digit number has six place value positions: ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands, and hundred-thousands. The leftmost digit is in the hundred-thousands place.