In previous math courses, you worked with whole numbers. Remember that whole numbers are the numbers you use to count, such as 0, 1, 2, 3, and so on. There are other numbers, such as 78.12, which are called decimal numbers. You have seen decimal numbers when shopping at the store or online. But whether a number is a whole number or a decimal number, its digits have place value. That’s the numerical value assigned to a digit based on where it appears in a number. Watch the video below to learn more about place value.
Rita and Arjun are 6th grade students who use numbers every day.
Numbers are in their math books, on their smartphones, on street signs, at the grocery store, and more!
You probably see a lot of numbers every day too!
Every digit in every number you see has a value. That value is based on the place where the digit appears in the number.
You can use place value to solve problems and make decisions.
For example, today Rita and Arjun are comparing the price of a video game from two different streaming services.
One service offers the game for $45.76; the other offers it for $45.67.
Rita and Arjun need to use what they know about numbers and place value to decide which service is cheaper.
In this lesson, you will learn how to compare numbers using place value, just like Arjun and Rita.
Now, try not to lose your place in this lesson as you learn all there is to know about place value.
Question
Is the number 1.98 a whole number? Explain.
No. The number 1.98 is a decimal number because it has values to the right of the decimal point that are greater than 0.
