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Value of a digit after the decimal

You learn what a digit after the decimal point is worth.

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How to work it out

  1. Count from the decimal point to the right.
  2. The first place is the tenths, the second the hundredths, the third the thousandths.
  3. Divide the digit by 10, 100 or 1000.
D1.000
—
H100
—
T10
—
E1
4
t0,1
3
h0,01
7
4 + 0,3 + 0,07=437

A worked example

What is the value of the 3 in 4.37?

  1. Count the places after the decimal point: the 3 is first and the 7 is second.
  2. The 3 is in the tenths place.
  3. Divide 3 by 10: 3 ÷ 10 = 0.3.
D1.000
—
H100
0
T10
0
E1
3
More examples

What is the value of the 5 in 2.85?

  1. The 5 is in the second place after the decimal point: the hundredths.
  2. Divide 5 by 100: 5 ÷ 100 = 0.05.
D1.000
—
H100
0
T10
0
E1
5

What is the value of the 5 in 6.125?

  1. The 5 is in the third place after the decimal point: the thousandths.
  2. Divide 5 by 1000: 5 ÷ 1000 = 0.005.
D1.000
—
H100
0
T10
0
E1
5

Try it yourself

  1. What is the value of the 6 in 0.604?

  2. What is the value of the 5 in 2.85?

Watch out

  • You think the second place is the tens, so you say the 5 in 2.85 is worth 50.

    Every digit after the decimal point is worth less than 1, so the answer always starts with 0 and a decimal point.

Tips

  • Count from the decimal point to the right: tenths, hundredths, thousandths.
  • A 0 on the end of a decimal changes nothing: 0.5 and 0.50 are the same size.

Why it works

To the right of the decimal point it works just like on the left, but each place is ten times smaller. The first digit is the tenths, the second the hundredths and the third the thousandths. That is why the 3 in 4.37 is three tenths: 0.3.