Place Value: Definition, Charts, Properties, and Examples

Place Value: Have you ever noticed how a number changes depending on where its digits are? For example, in 25, the 2 means twenty, but in 205, it means two hundred. This happens because of place value, which tells us the value of a digit based on its position in a number.

What is Place Value?

• The digit 3 is in the ones place, so its value is 3×1=3
• The digit 5 is in the tens place, so its value is 5×10=50
• The digit 8 is in the hundreds place, so its value is 8×100=800
• The digit 7 is in the thousands place, so its value is 7×1,000=7,000

This is a perfect place value example that shows how digits change their value depending on where they are.

Indian Number System

• The digit 3 is in the ten thousands place, so its value is 3×10,000=30,000
• The digit 1 is in the thousands place, so its value is 1×1,000=1,0001
• The digit 2 is in the hundreds place, so its value is 2×100=200
• The digit 0 is in the tens place, so its value is 0×10=0
• The digit 4 is in the ones place, so its value is 4×1=4

Even if a digit is zero, its place value still depends on its position. And don’t worry even a zero plays a role in big numbers.

Properties of Place Value

• The place value of a single-digit number is the same as its face value.
• The place value increases by ten times as you move one position to the left in a number.
• The place value of zero is always zero, regardless of its position. For example, in 405, the place value of the 0 is 0.
• As we move left in a number, the place value of each position increases by 10 times. For example, in 2,345, the place value of 3 (hundreds) is ten times the place value of 4 (tens).

Place Value Chart

Indian Place Value System

Structure of the Indian Place Value Chart

1. First Period : Includes three places—ones, tens , and hundreds .
2. Second Period : Includes two places—thousands and ten thousands .
3. Third Period : Includes two places—lakhs and ten lakhs .
4. Fourth Period : Includes two places—crores and ten crores .

Decimal Numbers in the Indian Place Value Chart

• 7 is in the tenths place, valued at 7 × 0.1=0.77
• 8 is in the hundredths place, valued at 8 × 0.01 = 0.088.
• 9 is in the thousandths place, valued at 9 × 0.001=0.0099

International Place Value System

Place Value Examples from Real Life

Let’s take some fun place value examples from daily life:

If a pencil costs ₹20 and you buy 2, the total is ₹40. The digit 4 in 40 is in the tens place.

In your math notebook, page 105 has the digit 1 in the hundreds place. That means 1×100 = 100.

By looking around, you’ll spot the place value of numbers everywhere.

Fun Ways to Learn Place Value

Here are some fun tips:

• Use color-coded blocks to understand the place value chart.

• Play board games like Snakes and Ladders with number reading challenges.

• Watch animated videos explaining what is the place value of digits.

These activities make learning the place value super easy and fun.

Why Is Place Value Important?

Without place value, we wouldn't be able to:

• Read big numbers

• Add or subtract correctly

• Solve word problems

• It’s the base of all math work.

Understanding the place value definition helps you become a math champ.

Comparison Between Indian and International Place Value Systems

• A 6-digit number is read as 1 lakh in the Indian system but as 100 thousand in the International system.
• A 7-digit number is read as 10 lakhs in the Indian system but as 1 million in the International system.
• For 8-digit numbers, 1 crore in the Indian system is equivalent to 10 million in the International system.
• For 9-digit numbers, 10 crores in the Indian system is equivalent to 100 million in the International system.

Difference Between Indian and International Place Value Chart

Difference Between Place Value and Face Value

Place Value Solved Examples

• 5×1,000=5,000
• 9×100=900
• 7×10=70

Adding the values: