Concept
Order decimal Numbers:
In our decimal number system, the value of a digit depends on its place or position in the number. Each place has a value of 10 times the place to its right.
Rule
You read the number from left to right.
Comparing decimal numbers
- Set up a place value chart.
- Put in the digits of each number.
- Compare using the first column on the left.
- If the digits are equal, move to the next column to the right until the digits are different. If all the digits are equal, the numbers are equal.
Thousands |
Ones |
Decimal Place Value |
Hundred Thousands
|
Tens Thousands
|
Thousands
|
Hundreds
|
Tens
|
Ones
|
Decimal Point
|
Tenths
|
Hundredths
|
Thousandths
|
Ten-Thousandths
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
. |
|
|
|
|
Example
Order these numbers from the greatest to the least.
7.5971
|
7.5871
|
7.5951
|
7.5970
|
Solution
- Set up a place value chart.
- Put in the digits of each number.
- Compare using the first column on the left.
- If the digits are equal, move to the next column to the right until the digits are different.
- The digits are the same until the hundredth place.
Three of the numbers have a 9 in the hundredth place. The fourth numbers have an 8. Eight is less than 9. The number with the 8 will be the last number when comparing from the greatest to the least. Move it to the last place.
Ones |
Decimal Place Value |
Hundreds
|
Tens
|
Ones
|
Decimal Point
|
Tenths
|
Hundredths
|
Thousandths
|
Ten-Thousandths
|
|
|
7 |
. |
5 |
9 |
7 |
1 |
|
|
7 |
. |
5 |
8 |
7 |
1 |
|
|
7 |
. |
5 |
9 |
5 |
1 |
|
|
7 |
. |
5 |
9 |
7 |
0 |
7.5971
|
7.5951
|
7.5970
|
7.5871
|
- Compare the remaining three numbers by moving on to the thousandths place. Two of the numbers have a 7 in the thousandths place and one has a 5. Five is less than 7. Move the number with the 5 in the thousandths place to the third position.
Ones |
Decimal Place Value |
Hundreds
|
Tens
|
Ones
|
Decimal Point
|
Tenths
|
Hundredths
|
Thousandths
|
Ten-Thousandths
|
|
|
7 |
. |
5 |
9 |
7 |
1 |
|
|
7 |
. |
5 |
9 |
5 |
1 |
|
|
7 |
. |
5 |
9 |
7 |
0 |
7.5971
|
7.5970
|
7.5951
|
7.5871
|
- Compare the remaining two numbers by moving on to the ten-thousandths place. The first number has a 1 in the ten-thousandths place and the second number has a 0. One is greater than zero. The number with the 1 is the first number when comparing from the greatest to the least.
Ones |
Decimal Place Value |
Hundreds
|
Tens
|
Ones
|
Decimal Point
|
Tenths
|
Hundredths
|
Thousandths
|
Ten-Thousandths
|
|
|
7 |
. |
5 |
9 |
7 |
1 |
|
|
7 |
. |
5 |
9 |
7 |
0 |
Answer:
7.5971
|
7.5970
|
7.5951
|
7.5871
|
Pre-requisite Skills
Compare Numbers (5.1.4)
Value of Digits (Decimal Numbers) (5.2.4)
Error