Place Value: Hundreds, Tens, and Ones
Grade 2 · Math · Study Guide
Understand what each digit in a number really means using hundreds, tens, and ones.
Every number is made of digits, and where a digit sits tells us its value. This is called place value. In a three-digit number like 347, the 3 is in the hundreds place, the 4 is in the tens place, and the 7 is in the ones place. So 347 means 3 hundreds + 4 tens + 7 ones.
You can think of it like building blocks. Hundreds are the big flat slabs, tens are the long rods, and ones are the tiny cubes. If you had 2 hundreds, 5 tens, and 6 ones, you would have the number 256.
Place value helps us understand big and small numbers. The digit 5 in 500 is worth 500, but the digit 5 in 50 is only worth 50, and in 5 it is just 5. The same digit means different things depending on where it is sitting!
| Number | Hundreds | Tens | Ones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 143 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 256 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| 709 | 7 | 0 | 9 |
| 320 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
Key terms
- Ones place
- The rightmost digit in a number, showing single units
- Tens place
- The middle digit in a 2- or 3-digit number, showing groups of ten
- Hundreds place
- The leftmost digit in a 3-digit number, showing groups of one hundred
- Digit
- Any of the symbols 0-9 used to write numbers
- Expanded form
- Writing a number by showing the value of each digit separately (e.g., 200 + 30 + 4)
Flashcards
- What place value does the first digit on the right hold?
- Ones place
- What place value is the middle digit in a 3-digit number?
- Tens place
- What place value is the leftmost digit in a 3-digit number?
- Hundreds place
- What is expanded form?
- Writing out the value of each digit: e.g., 345 = 300 + 40 + 5
- In 205, what is the value of the zero?
- Zero tens — it is a placeholder
- How many tens are in 370?
- 7 tens (7 × 10 = 70)
Practice questions
In the number 472, what digit is in the tens place?
- 4
- 7
- 2
- 0
Show answer
Answer: 7
In 472: 4 is hundreds, 7 is tens, 2 is ones.
The number 516 has ___ hundreds.
Show answer
Answer: 5
516 — the 5 is in the hundreds place.
In the number 308, the digit 0 means there are zero tens.
Show answer
Answer: True
308: 3 hundreds, 0 tens, 8 ones. Zero holds the tens place.
Which shows 400 + 60 + 3 written as a number?
- 436
- 463
- 364
- 643
Show answer
Answer: 463
400 + 60 + 3 = 463.
What is the value of the 9 in the number 193?
- 9
- 90
- 900
- 19
Show answer
Answer: 90
9 sits in the tens place, so its value is 90.
Fun facts
- The number 100 has been important since ancient times — Romans used C (centum) for 100!
- Zero is a placeholder — in 305, the zero holds the tens place so we know it means 3 hundreds and 5 ones.
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