Place Value to 1000

Hundreds, Tens, and Ones#

Every number is made up of smaller building blocks called place values. When we write numbers, each digit's position tells us how much it is worth. For numbers up to 1000, we use three place values: hundreds, tens, and ones.

The Place Value Chart#

Imagine a chart with three columns:

This chart shows the number 347.

• The 3 is in the hundreds place. It means 3 hundreds = 300.
• The 4 is in the tens place. It means 4 tens = 40.
• The 7 is in the ones place. It means 7 ones = 7.

So 347 = 300 + 40 + 7.

What Is a Hundred?#

One hundred is a group of 10 tens, or 100 ones. It is a BIG group! Think of 10 full ten-rods lined up together — that makes one hundred.

If you have 4 hundreds, that means 4 x 100 = 400.

What Is a Ten?#

One ten is a group of 10 ones. Think of 10 single unit cubes snapped together.

If you have 5 tens, that means 5 x 10 = 50.

What Is a One?#

A one is just a single unit — one cube, one dot, one item.

Building Three-Digit Numbers#

Let us build the number 529:

• 5 hundreds = 500
• 2 tens = 20
• 9 ones = 9
• 500 + 20 + 9 = 529

Zeros as Place Holders#

Sometimes a place value has ZERO items. The zero is very important — it holds the place so the other digits know where to go!

• 305 means 3 hundreds, 0 tens, 5 ones. The zero in the tens place is a placeholder. Without it, 35 is a completely different number!

Understanding place value is the foundation for all the math you will do in Grade 2 and beyond!