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Read and write numbers up to one million
Learn step-by-step with practice exercises built right in.
Place value tells us what each digit in a number means based on its position.
In 4th grade, we work with numbers up to millions!
Millions | Hundred Thousands | Ten Thousands | Thousands | Hundreds | Tens | Ones
3 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 1
This number is: 3,527,461 = Three million, five hundred twenty-seven thousand, four hundred sixty-one
Notice the pattern - every three places we group with a comma:
Ones period: Ones, Tens, Hundreds
Thousands period: Thousands, Ten thousands, Hundred thousands
Millions period: Millions, Ten millions, Hundred millions
Each place is 10 times bigger than the one to its right!
Steps to read large numbers:
What is the value of the 7 in 2,745,831?
Let's identify each place:
2,745,831 โ 7 is in the HUNDRED THOUSANDS place
Value = 7 ร 100,000 = 700,000 โ
The 7 represents seven hundred thousand!
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Examples:
Standard form: 3,456,789 Word form: Three million, four hundred fifty-six thousand, seven hundred eighty-nine Expanded form: 3,000,000 + 400,000 + 50,000 + 6,000 + 700 + 80 + 9
Strategy:
Example: Which is bigger: 3,456,789 or 3,492,103?
Important distinction:
In 5,234,678:
Understanding place value helps with multiplying by 10, 100, 1,000:
Multiply by 10: Move each digit one place LEFT (add a zero)
Multiply by 100: Move each digit two places LEFT
Multiply by 1,000: Move each digit three places LEFT
Population:
Money:
Distance:
Big numbers in nature:
To remember place values:
Common patterns:
โ Forgetting commas when writing large numbers โ Saying "and" when reading whole numbers โ Mixing up the order of periods
โ Use commas every 3 digits from the right โ Read each period separately, then say its name โ Remember the order: ones, thousands, millions
Write the number: 3 millions, 5 hundred thousands, 2 tens, 9 ones
Build it place by place:
Millions: 3,000,000 Hundred thousands: 500,000 Ten thousands: 0 Thousands: 0 Hundreds: 0 Tens: 20 Ones: 9
Add them together: 3,000,000 + 500,000 + 20 + 9 = 3,500,029 โ
Compare using <, >, or =: 4,567,890 ___ 4,576,890
Compare digit by digit from left to right:
4,567,890 4,576,890
Millions: 4 = 4 โ Hundred thousands: 5 = 5 โ Ten thousands: 6 < 7 โ Different!
Since 6 < 7, we know:
4,567,890 < 4,576,890 โ
Write 5,030,407 in expanded form.
Break down each digit by its place value:
5,030,407 =
5,000,000 (5 millions)
0 (0 hundred thousands)
0 (0 thousands)
400 (4 hundreds)
0 (0 tens)
7 (7 ones)
Expanded form: 5,000,000 + 30,000 + 400 + 7 โ
(We skip the zeros!)
The population of a city is 8,429,156. How many ten thousands are in this number?
Let's find the ten thousands place:
8,429,156 โ 2 is in the TEN THOUSANDS place
But wait! The question asks "how many ten thousands" total.
We can think of it as: 8,429,156 รท 10,000 = 842.9156
So there are 842 complete ten thousands in this number.
Or simpler: Just look at all digits from the ten thousands place and left: 842 ten thousands โ