Decimal Place Value Chart
You already know the place value of whole numbers — ones, tens, hundreds, thousands. But what about numbers smaller than 1? That is where decimals come in.
A decimal place value chart extends the place value system to the right of the decimal point. In Class 4, you will learn about tenths and hundredths — the two decimal places used most often in everyday life.
What is Decimal Place Value Chart - Class 4 Maths (Decimals)?
A decimal number has two parts separated by a decimal point (.):
- The part to the left of the decimal point is the whole number part.
- The part to the right is the decimal (fractional) part.
A decimal place value chart shows the value of each digit based on its position:
| Hundreds | Tens | Ones | . (Decimal Point) | Tenths | Hundredths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 10 | 1 | . | 1/10 = 0.1 | 1/100 = 0.01 |
Decimal Place Value Chart Formula
Each place to the right of the decimal point is 1/10 of the place before it
Ones → Tenths → Hundredths
1 → 0.1 → 0.01
Each position is 10 times smaller than the one to its left.
Types and Properties
Reading decimal numbers:
- One decimal place (tenths): 3.5 is read as "three point five" or "three and five tenths."
- Two decimal places (hundredths): 3.57 is read as "three point five seven" or "three and fifty-seven hundredths."
Expanded form of decimals:
Example: 24.63 = 20 + 4 + 0.6 + 0.03 = 2 tens + 4 ones + 6 tenths + 3 hundredths
Solved Examples
Example 1: Example 1: Placing digits in a chart
Problem: Write 15.72 in a decimal place value chart.
Solution:
| Tens | Ones | . | Tenths | Hundredths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | . | 7 | 2 |
Answer: 1 is in the tens place (value 10), 5 is in the ones place (value 5), 7 is in the tenths place (value 0.7), 2 is in the hundredths place (value 0.02).
Example 2: Example 2: Identifying place value of a digit
Problem: What is the place value of 6 in 23.46?
Solution:
Step 1: The digit 6 is in the hundredths place (second position after the decimal point).
Step 2: Place value = 6 × 0.01 = 0.06
Answer: The place value of 6 in 23.46 is 0.06 (6 hundredths).
Example 3: Example 3: Writing in expanded form
Problem: Write 8.35 in expanded form.
Solution:
Step 1: 8 is in the ones place → 8
Step 2: 3 is in the tenths place → 0.3
Step 3: 5 is in the hundredths place → 0.05
Answer: 8.35 = 8 + 0.3 + 0.05
Example 4: Example 4: Writing a decimal from expanded form
Problem: Write in decimal form: 40 + 7 + 0.2 + 0.09
Solution:
Step 1: 40 → Tens digit is 4
Step 2: 7 → Ones digit is 7
Step 3: 0.2 → Tenths digit is 2
Step 4: 0.09 → Hundredths digit is 9
Answer: The decimal number is 47.29.
Example 5: Example 5: Comparing digits in different places
Problem: In the number 55.55, what is the value of each digit 5?
Solution:
Step 1: First 5 (tens place) = 50
Step 2: Second 5 (ones place) = 5
Step 3: Third 5 (tenths place) = 0.5
Step 4: Fourth 5 (hundredths place) = 0.05
Answer: The values are 50, 5, 0.5, and 0.05 — each 5 is worth 10 times less than the one to its left.
Example 6: Example 6: Money as a decimal
Problem: Ria has ₹34.50. Write this amount in a place value chart.
Solution:
| Tens | Ones | . | Tenths | Hundredths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | . | 5 | 0 |
Answer: ₹34.50 means 3 tens (₹30) + 4 ones (₹4) + 5 tenths (50 paise) + 0 hundredths.
Example 7: Example 7: Converting a fraction to a decimal using the chart
Problem: Write 3/10 as a decimal using the place value chart.
Solution:
Step 1: 3/10 means 3 tenths.
Step 2: In the chart: Ones = 0, Tenths = 3.
Answer: 3/10 = 0.3
Example 8: Example 8: Converting hundredths to decimal
Problem: Write 47/100 as a decimal.
Solution:
Step 1: 47/100 means 47 hundredths.
Step 2: 47 hundredths = 4 tenths + 7 hundredths.
Step 3: In the chart: Ones = 0, Tenths = 4, Hundredths = 7.
Answer: 47/100 = 0.47
Example 9: Example 9: Which digit has greater value?
Problem: In 6.84, which digit has greater value — 8 or 4?
Solution:
Step 1: 8 is in the tenths place → value = 0.8
Step 2: 4 is in the hundredths place → value = 0.04
Step 3: 0.8 > 0.04
Answer: The digit 8 has the greater value (0.8 compared to 0.04).
Example 10: Example 10: Measurement as a decimal
Problem: A ribbon is 2 m and 35 cm long. Write this in metres as a decimal.
Solution:
Step 1: 100 cm = 1 m, so 35 cm = 35/100 m = 0.35 m.
Step 2: Total length = 2 + 0.35 = 2.35 m.
Answer: The ribbon is 2.35 m long.
Key Points to Remember
- The decimal point separates the whole number part from the decimal part.
- Tenths is the first place to the right of the decimal point (value = 1/10 = 0.1).
- Hundredths is the second place (value = 1/100 = 0.01).
- Each position is 10 times smaller than the one to its left.
- Money uses decimals: ₹45.75 means 45 rupees and 75 paise.
- Measurements use decimals: 2.35 m means 2 metres and 35 centimetres.
- The same digit has different values depending on its position in the number.
Practice Problems
- Write 92.14 in a decimal place value chart. State the place value of each digit.
- What is the place value of 3 in the number 7.38?
- Write 6 + 0.5 + 0.08 as a decimal number.
- Aman has ₹56.25. How many rupees and how many paise does he have?
- Write 9/10 as a decimal.
- Write 63/100 as a decimal.
- In the number 4.44, what is the value of each digit 4?
- A rope is 5 m and 8 cm long. Write this in metres as a decimal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is a decimal place value chart?
It is a chart that shows the value of each digit in a decimal number based on its position — ones, tenths, hundredths, and so on — extending the place value system to the right of the decimal point.
Q2. What comes after the ones place in a decimal?
The tenths place comes first (one position right of the decimal), followed by the hundredths place. Each position is 1/10 of the previous one.
Q3. How is 0.5 different from 0.05?
0.5 means 5 tenths (5/10), which equals 1/2. 0.05 means 5 hundredths (5/100), which equals 1/20. So 0.5 is ten times greater than 0.05.
Q4. How do you read a decimal number?
Read the whole number part, say "point", then read each digit after the decimal point individually. For example, 12.47 is read as "twelve point four seven."
Q5. How are decimals related to money?
In Indian currency, the rupee amount is the whole number part and paise is the decimal part. ₹1 = 100 paise, so ₹3.75 means 3 rupees and 75 paise.
Q6. How do you write a fraction as a decimal?
If the denominator is 10, the numerator goes in the tenths place. If the denominator is 100, the numerator fills the tenths and hundredths places. For example, 7/10 = 0.7 and 23/100 = 0.23.
Q7. What is the expanded form of a decimal?
Break the number into the sum of each digit multiplied by its place value. For example, 5.63 = 5 + 0.6 + 0.03.
Q8. Why is the decimal point important?
Without the decimal point, you cannot tell the whole number part from the fractional part. For example, 35 and 3.5 look similar but have very different values.
