Tenths and Hundredths
Grade 4 students explore tenths and hundredths as decimal fractions in Saxon Math Intermediate 4. One hundredth is written as the fraction 1/100 or the decimal 0.01 — just like a penny is one hundredth of a dollar. When a 100-square grid has 36 squares shaded, the shaded portion is 36/100 or 0.36. A critical concept: 6/100 is written 0.06, not 0.6, because hundredths require two decimal digits. This Chapter 4 skill builds the connection between fraction notation and decimal notation using money and visual grid models.
Key Concepts
New Concept We may write one hundredth as a fraction ($\frac{1}{100}$) or as a decimal number ($0.01$).
What’s next Next, you’ll use money and shaded grids to visualize, compare, and order these new decimal values.
Common Questions
What are tenths and hundredths in decimals?
Tenths represent one decimal place — splitting a whole into 10 equal parts. One tenth is written as 1/10 or 0.1. Hundredths represent two decimal places — splitting a whole into 100 equal parts. One hundredth is written as 1/100 or 0.01.
How do you write a fraction as a decimal for hundredths?
Count how many hundredths you have and write them using two decimal places. For example, 36/100 is written 0.36. If the numerator is a single digit like 6, you need a zero placeholder: 6/100 is 0.06, not 0.6.
Why is 6/100 written as 0.06 and not 0.6?
The decimal 0.6 means six tenths, which is 6/10. To write six hundredths, you need two decimal places because hundredths require a position two digits right of the decimal point, giving 0.06.
How does money help explain tenths and hundredths?
A dime is one tenth of a dollar (0.1 dollars) and a penny is one hundredth of a dollar (0.01 dollars). These familiar coins make the abstract place value of tenths and hundredths concrete and easy to visualize.
What Saxon Math chapter covers tenths and hundredths?
Tenths and hundredths are introduced in Saxon Math Intermediate 4, Chapter 4 (Lessons 31-40), using money and shaded grids to visualize decimal fractions.