Worked example 1
Write the value of the digit 7 in 3.0746.
List the places after the decimal: 0 tenths, 7 hundredths, 4 thousandths, 6 ten-thousandths. The 7 is in the hundredths place, so its value is 7/100 = 0.07.
Answer: 0.07
Grade 6 Math · Topic 17
Decimal Place Value
Decimals extend our base-ten system to numbers less than one. Each place to the right of the decimal point is ten times smaller than the place to its left: tenths, hundredths, thousandths, ten-thousandths, and so on. Knowing the value of each digit is the key to reading, writing, and comparing decimals.
Lesson alignment: 6.NS.B.3 · Take your time. You can return to this lesson whenever you need it.
Explore visually
Read a number by place value
Line up the digits to see how much each one contributes to the whole number.
Think first: Which digit is in the hundredths place, and what is its value?
Ready? Reveal the model and try your prediction
Swipe horizontally to see the full diagram.
Turn on JavaScript to adjust this model. The examples and practice below work without it.
Follow the worked examples
Read each step, then cover the explanation and see if you can explain why it works.
Worked example 2
Write 5.083 in word form.
The whole number is 5. The decimal part has digits in tenths, hundredths, and thousandths places, so we read 083 as “eighty-three thousandths.” Together: “five and eighty-three thousandths.”
Answer: five and eighty-three thousandths
Try a few on your own
Work these on paper first. Open “Check” when you are ready to compare your answer.
- In 4.2̲7, value of underlined digit =
Check
0.2
- In 0.58̲, value =
Check
0.08
- In 6.043̲, value =
Check
0.003
- In 12.6̲05, value =
Check
0.6
- In 7.0014̲, value =
Check
0.0004
- In 0.0̲29, value =
Check
0
- In 9.3̲48, value =
Check
0.3
- In 100.56̲7, value =
Check
0.06
Try this situation 1
In her science journal, Emma recorded a leaf's length as 4.0367 centimeters. What is the value of the digit 3?
Show a worked solution
Answer: 0.03 (three hundredths).
In 4.0367, the digit 3 is in the hundredths place. Its value is 3/100 = 0.03.
Try this situation 2
A coin weighs 5.067 grams. Write this in word form.
Show a worked solution
Answer: Five and sixty-seven thousandths grams.
Whole number: 5. Decimal: 067 in thousandths place reads as “sixty-seven thousandths.”
Fresh questions · saved on this device
Practice this skill
Try a fresh set each time. Answer one question, check your thinking, and read the explanation. If you miss one, return to the visual model and try another round.
Question 1 of 50 correct so far
Session complete
Check what you learned
Answer these five questions on your own. You can review the explanations after you submit and try again whenever you like. This short check is for practice, not a grade.
Practice and finish
Try the linked topic quiz for more practice. If something is tricky, return to the example and look for the step that changes the numbers or representation.
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More Grade 6 resources
Use these free materials if you want another explanation, extra paper practice, or a broader review.