What is number value?
Every digit in a number has a place and a value. The place tells you where the digit sits, and the value tells you how much it is worth. In Year 5 we read numbers up to 1 000 000.
Places in a 6-digit number
From the right, the places are: ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands. When we write big numbers, we leave a small space every three digits, counting from the right, so they are easy to read.
Key idea
Digit value = the digit × its place value. In 356 128 the digit 5 is in the ten thousands place, so its value is 5 × 10 000 = 50 000.
Worked example
Look at 274 605. The digit 7 is in the ten thousands place, so its place value is ten thousands and its value is 7 × 10 000 = 70 000. The digit 2 is worth 200 000.
Remember
- Place = position; value = how much it is worth.
- Read big numbers in groups of three digits.
- A zero holds a place but has a value of 0.