Place Value and Zero

The digit 4 does not always mean the same amount. In 42, the 4 means four tens, or forty. In 204, it means four ones. The place of the digit tells us its value. Reading from the right, we have ones, tens, hundreds, then thousands.

Zero does an important job even though it means none of that place. In 204, zero tells us there are no tens. Without it, 24 would be a different number. You can build 204 with two hundred blocks, no tens rods, and four single blocks.

To compare 204 and 240, start at the largest place. Both have two hundreds. The tens place decides: 240 has four tens, while 204 has none. This is why writing the digits in neat columns helps when adding or comparing numbers.