How to Calculate Place Value

What is Place Value?

Place value is the system by which a digit's value depends on its position in a number. In 4,523: the 4 represents 4,000, the 5 represents 500, the 2 represents 20, and the 3 represents 3. Our base-10 system uses powers of 10 for each position.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1Each position is 10× the position to its right
2. 2Ones → Tens → Hundreds → Thousands → Ten-Thousands...
3. 3Decimal places go right: Tenths → Hundredths → Thousandths
4. 4The digit 0 is crucial as a placeholder (502 ≠ 52)

Worked Examples