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Decimal places

Here you will learn about decimal places, including how to round numbers to the tenths place, hundredths place and thousandths place.

Students will first learn about decimal places as part of number and operations in base ten, in elementary school.

What are decimal places?

Decimal places refer to the position of the digits that fall to the right of a decimal point, or period.

The first decimal place to the right of the decimal point is the tenths place.

The second decimal place is the hundredths place.

The third decimal place is the thousandths place.

The decimal system continues up to the ten-thousandths place, the hundred-thousandths place, the millionths place and beyond.

  • Using a place value chart will help you to identify the value of a specific digit.

For example,

The decimal katex is not defined is represented on the place value chart.

Notice that there is a katex is not defined in the ones place and the katex is not defined is in the tenths place.

So the value of the digit katex is not defined is two-tenths.

Decimal places image 1

Using additional zeros in the place value chart won’t change the value of the decimal, but would change the decimal place and how you read the decimal.

katex is not defined can be read as twenty hundredths.

Decimal Places image 2

katex is not defined can be read as two-hundred thousandths

Decimal Places image 3

[FREE] Decimal Places Worksheet (Grade 5)

[FREE] Decimal Places Worksheet (Grade 5)

[FREE] Decimal Places Worksheet (Grade 5)

Use this worksheet to check your grade 5 students’ understanding of decimal places and how to round numbers. 15 questions with answers to identify learning gaps!

DOWNLOAD FREE NOW
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[FREE] Decimal Places Worksheet (Grade 5)

[FREE] Decimal Places Worksheet (Grade 5)

[FREE] Decimal Places Worksheet (Grade 5)

Use this worksheet to check your grade 5 students’ understanding of decimal places and how to round numbers. 15 questions with answers to identify learning gaps!

DOWNLOAD FREE NOW

  • You can use place value to round a number to given decimal places such as tenths, hundredths, and thousandths.

To round a decimal, you find the decimal place you wish to round to and look at the value after that number. If the value after the chosen place value is a katex is not defined or above you round up, if it is less than katex is not defined you round down.

It is important to give the number of digits required after the decimal point, even if the last digit would be a zero.

For example,

Round katex is not defined to the nearest tenth.

Decimal Places image 4
katex is not defined

katex is not defined is less than katex is not defined so we’d leave the katex is not defined as it is.

katex is not defined rounded to the nearest tenth would be katex is not defined

What are decimal places?

What are decimal places?

Common Core State Standards

How does this relate to 4th grade math and 5th grade math?

  • Grade 5: Number and Operations in Base Ten (5.NBT.A3)
    Read, write, and compare decimals to the thousandths

  • Grade 5: Number and Operations in Base Ten (5.NBT.A4)
    Use place value understanding to round decimals to any place

How to round to decimal places

In order to round to a decimal place with the rule:

  1. Find the rounding place and look at the digit immediately to the right of the rounding place.
  2. When that digit is katex is not defined or greater, add katex is not defined to the rounding digit. When it is less than katex is not defined, leave the rounding digit alone.
  3. Drop all the digits to the right of the rounded digit.
  4. Write the rounded number.

Decimal place examples

Example 1: rounding to the tenths place

Round katex is not defined to the nearest tenth.

  1. Find the rounding place and look at the digit immediately to the right of the rounding place.

You need to locate the tenths place, the first digit to the right of the decimal point.

Decimal Places example 1 image 1

2When that digit is katex is not defined or greater, add katex is not defined to the rounding digit. When it is less than katex is not defined, leave the rounding digit alone.

Decimal Places example 1 image 2

katex is not defined is less than katex is not defined

As katex is not defined is less than katex is not defined you round down.

3Drop all the digits to the right of the rounded digit.

Decimal Places example 1 image 3

4Write the rounded number.

katex is not defined is katex is not defined to the nearest tenth.

Example 2: rounding to the tenths place

Round katex is not defined to the nearest tenth.

Find the rounding place and look at the digit immediately to the right of the rounding place.

Show step

When that digit is katex is not defined or greater, add katex is not defined to the rounding digit. When it is less than katex is not defined, leave the rounding digit alone.

Show step

Drop all the digits to the right of the rounded digit.

Show step

Write the rounded number.

Show step

Example 3: rounding to the hundredths place

Round katex is not defined to the nearest hundredth.

Find the rounding place and look at the digit immediately to the right of the rounding place.

Show step

When that digit is katex is not defined or greater, add katex is not defined to the rounding digit. When it is less than katex is not defined, leave the rounding digit alone.

Show step

Drop all the digits to the right of the rounded digit.

Show step

Write the rounded number.

Show step

Example 4: rounding to the hundredths place

A calculator displayed an answer to a calculation as katex is not defined What is this value rounded to the nearest hundredths place?

Find the rounding place and look at the digit immediately to the right of the rounding place.

Show step

When that digit is katex is not defined or greater, add katex is not defined to the rounding digit. When it is less than katex is not defined, leave the rounding digit alone.

Show step

Drop all the digits to the right of the rounded digit.

Show step

Write the rounded number.

Show step

Example 5: rounding to the thousandths place

Round katex is not defined to the nearest thousandth.

Find the rounding place and look at the digit immediately to the right of the rounding place.

Show step

When that digit is katex is not defined or greater, add katex is not defined to the rounding digit. When it is less than katex is not defined, leave the rounding digit alone.

Show step

Drop all the digits to the right of the rounded digit.

Show step

Write the rounded number.

Show step

Example 6: rounding to the thousandths place

Round katex is not defined to the nearest thousandth.

Find the rounding place and look at the digit immediately to the right of the rounding place.

Show step

When that digit is katex is not defined or greater, add katex is not defined to the rounding digit. When it is less than katex is not defined, leave the rounding digit alone.

Show step

Drop all the digits to the right of the rounded digit.

Show step

Write the rounded number.

Show step

[FREE] Decimal Places Worksheet (Grade 5)

[FREE] Decimal Places Worksheet (Grade 5)

[FREE] Decimal Places Worksheet (Grade 5)

Use this worksheet to check your grade 5 students’ understanding of decimal places and how to round numbers. 15 questions with answers to identify learning gaps!

DOWNLOAD FREE
x
[FREE] Decimal Places Worksheet (Grade 5)

[FREE] Decimal Places Worksheet (Grade 5)

[FREE] Decimal Places Worksheet (Grade 5)

Use this worksheet to check your grade 5 students’ understanding of decimal places and how to round numbers. 15 questions with answers to identify learning gaps!

DOWNLOAD FREE

Teaching tips for decimal places

  • Allowing students to use a place value chart when first studying decimal places, allows them to visualize how each number relates with the place value names and positions.

  • Hands-on decimal activities, including using manipulatives, allows students to explore the decimal system in an impactful way.

  • Number lines are a great place to start students when first learning how to round. The rule makes more sense once they’ve had the opportunity to see how rounding happens. Not giving students the opportunity to use the number line can lead to misconceptions and mistakes later down the line.

Easy mistakes to make

  • Adding katex is not defined to all of the previous digits when rounding up
    A common error when rounding up is to increase all of the digits to the left by katex is not defined
    For example, if katex is not defined was rounded to the tenths place, a student may write katex is not defined instead of the correct answer katex is not defined

  • Decreasing the value of the rounding digit when rounding down
    When rounding down, the value of the rounding digit remains the same, it does not decrease. For example, round katex is not defined to the nearest tenth. The katex is not defined tells us to round down, so the rounding number would stay the same, katex is not defined not decrease to katex is not defined

  • Leaving out zeros when rounding a katex is not defined up
    It is important to remember to write the number of decimals to the place value given. For example, if katex is not defined is rounded to the hundredths place, it would be written as katex is not defined

  • Mixing up whole numbers and decimals
    It is confusing to some when trying to determine the difference between decimal place value: thousandths, hundredths and tenths with whole numbers place value: thousands, hundreds and tens. Consistent practice with these terms will help with familiarity.

Decimal places practice questions

1. Round katex is not defined to the nearest tenth.

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz True

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

The digit in the tenths place is katex is not defined The value to the right of this is katex is not defined which is greater than katex is not defined so round up.

 

The answer is katex is not defined

2. Round katex is not defined to the nearest tenth.

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz True

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

The digit in the tenths place is katex is not defined The value to the right of this is katex is not defined which is less than katex is not defined so round down.

 

The answer is katex is not defined

3. Round katex is not defined to the nearest hundredth.

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz True

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

The digit in the hundredths place is katex is not defined The value to the right of this is katex is not defined which is less than katex is not defined so round down.

 

The answer is katex is not defined

4. Round katex is not defined to the nearest hundredth.

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz True

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

The digit in the hundredths place is katex is not defined The value to the right of this is katex is not defined which is greater than katex is not defined so round up.

 

The answer is katex is not defined

5. Round katex is not defined to the thousandths place.

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz True

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

The digit in the thousandths place is katex is not defined and the value to the right of this is katex is not defined is greater than katex is not defined so round up – increasing katex is not defined by katex is not defined gives us katex is not defined so you need to increase the previous katex is not defined by katex is not defined which also gives us katex is not defined

 

Therefore you need to increase the katex is not defined by katex is not defined to give us katex is not defined

 

Decimal Places practice question image 1

 

You need to include the zeros in our answer so that it is written to the thousandths place.

 

The answer is katex is not defined

6. Round katex is not defined to the nearest thousandth.

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz False

katex is not defined
GCSE Quiz True

The digit in the thousandths place is katex is not defined The value to the right of this is katex is not defined which is greater than katex is not defined so round up.

 

The answer is katex is not defined

Decimal places FAQs

What decimals should I expect my students to know and work with?

Following the Common Core recommendations, in 5th grade, students should work with tenths place, hundredths place and thousandths place. Check your state’s specific standards for further clarification.

Why is learning about decimal places important?

Decimals are used in everyday life, including money and measurements. Decimals provide a more precise number that are needed in some situations.

What is “decimal place value”?

Decimal place values are all the digits in a decimal number. A tenth is the first digit to the right of a decimal point. The second digit to the right of a decimal point is the hundredths place and the third is the thousandths place. Decimals can also include ten thousandths and even millionths.

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