Place value in mathematics is the value of a digit based on its position in a number. Each digit in a number has a different place value depending on where it is located, starting from the units place (ones place) on the right, moving left to tens, hundreds, thousands, and so forth. For example:
- In the number 543, the place value of 5 is 5 hundreds (5 × 100 = 500),
- The place value of 4 is 4 tens (4 × 10 = 40),
- The place value of 3 is 3 ones (3 × 1 = 3).
Another example:
- In 3458, the place value of 5 is 5 tens or 50,
- While in 5781, the place value of 5 is 5 thousands or 5,000.
This shows that the same digit can have different values depending on its position in the number, which is called its place value. Place value helps us understand the actual quantity a digit represents in a number. In short, place value is found by multiplying the digit by the value of the position it holds in the number (ones, tens, hundreds, etc.).
