### What is Place Value?

Place value tells us how much a digit in a number is worth based on where it is in the number. For example, in the number **5,432**, the digit **5** is worth **5 thousand** because it’s in the **thousands place**.

### Whole Numbers Place Value

For the whole number part (everything to the left of the decimal point), here are the main place values:

- **Ones** – This is the number in the rightmost spot. For example, in **34**, the **4** is in the ones place.
- **Tens** – This is one spot to the left of the ones. In **34**, the **3** is in the tens place, which means **3 tens** or **30**.
- **Hundreds** – Two spots left of the ones. In **234**, the **2** is in the hundreds place, which means **2 hundreds** or **200**.
- **Thousands** – Three spots left of the ones. In **1,234**, the **1** is in the thousands place, so it’s worth **1 thousand** or **1,000**.

### Decimal Place Value

Decimal numbers have a dot (called a **decimal point**) that separates whole numbers from fractions. Each digit to the right of the decimal point has its own place value:

- **Tenths** – The first spot to the right of the decimal point. For example, in **3.4**, the **4** is in the tenths place, which means **4 tenths** or **0.4**.
- **Hundredths** – The second spot to the right. In **3.45**, the **5** is in the hundredths place, which means **5 hundredths** or **0.05**.
- **Thousandths** – The third spot to the right. In **3.456**, the **6** is in the thousandths place, which means **6 thousandths** or **0.006**.
- **Ten Thousandths** – The fourth spot to the right. In **3.4567**, the **7** is in the ten thousandths place, which means **7 ten thousandths** or **0.0007**.

### Example:

Let’s look at the number **12,345.6789**:

- **Whole Number Part (12,345)**:
  - The **1** is in the **Ten Thousands** place, so it’s worth **10,000**.
  - The **2** is in the **Thousands** place, so it’s worth **2,000**.
  - The **3** is in the **Hundreds** place, so it’s worth **300**.
  - The **4** is in the **Tens** place, so it’s worth **40**.
  - The **5** is in the **Ones** place, so it’s worth **5**.

- **Decimal Part (0.6789)**:
  - The **6** is in the **Tenths** place, so it’s worth **0.6**.
  - The **7** is in the **Hundredths** place, so it’s worth **0.07**.
  - The **8** is in the **Thousandths** place, so it’s worth **0.008**.
  - The **9** is in the **Ten Thousandths** place, so it’s worth **0.0009**.

### Summary:

Place value helps us understand what each digit in a number means based on where it is. The farther left the digit is, the bigger its value. The farther right of the decimal point, the smaller the value.