Place Value

Place value is a system that tells us what each digit in a number means based on where it is.
In other words, a digit’s place tells us how much it is worth.

For example, in the number 42:

• The 4 is in the tens place, so it means 40.
  
  

• The 2 is in the ones place, so it means 2.
  Together, 40 + 2 = 42.
  
  

🟩 Why It Matters

Place value helps us:

• Understand big numbers
  
  

• Read and write numbers correctly
  
  

• Add and subtract
  
  

• Prepare for multiplication
  
  

Without place value, the number 321 would just be a 3, a 2, and a 1 — we wouldn't know what it really means.

🟨 Place Value Chart

Let’s look at a simple place value chart for the number 148:

Hundreds

Tens

Ones

1

4

8

This tells us:

• 1 hundred = 100
  
  

• 4 tens = 40
  
  

• 8 ones = 8
  
  

So:
100 + 40 + 8 = 148

🧊 Example 1 – What Is the Value of the 7 in 76?

In 76:

• The 7 is in the tens place
  
  

• So it means 70
  
  

Answer: The value of the 7 is 70

🧊 Example 2 – What Is the Value of the 5 in 253?

In 253:

• The 5 is in the tens place
  
  

• So it means 50
  
  

Answer: The value of the 5 is 50

🟪 Expanded Form

Place value helps us write numbers in expanded form.

Example:

237 = 200 + 30 + 7
Each part shows the value of the digit.

🧠 Quick Tips

• The rightmost digit is always in the ones place
  
  

• The next digit to the left is the tens place
  
  

• Then comes the hundreds, and so on
  
  

💡 Did You Know?

In ancient times, people didn’t always have place value. The Romans used letters like X (10), L (50), and C (100) instead!

Our system — based on 10 — is called the base-ten system, and it’s much easier for math.