What are whole numbers?
Whole Numbers are also called Integers. There are positive Integers and negative Integers. Examples of positive integers are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc., while examples of negative integers are – 1, – 2, – 3, – 4, – 5, etc.
The figure 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 are called digits or units which form counting numbers.
Place Value System
The value of the position of a digit within a number is called the place value. When any whole number is written, the value of each digit depends on its position in the number. In the common decimal system that we use, the value of a digit increases each time it moves from left to right by ten times, e.g.
4 = 4 units
40 = 4 tens
400 = 4 hundreds
4 000 = 4 thousands
The number 7483 is represented as
THOUSANDS HUNDREDS TENS UNITS
7 4 8 3
EXAMPLE1: What is the place value of 6 in 8643?
Solution: The place value of 6 in 8643 is six hundreds.
EXAMPLE2: What is the place value of 5 in
a) 29.456
Answer: 5 hundredths
b) 9.568
Answer: 5 tenths
c) 546.12
Answer: 5 hundreds.
d) 5 393 289 984
Answer: 5 Billions
e) 456 893 239
Answer: 5 Ten Millions
STUDENTS ACTIVITY
- What is the value of 5 in: a) 3 572 b) 5 372 482 983 489 c) 25 347 869
- State the place value of 3 in each of the following
i) 439 027 847 829
ii) 56.735
iii) 4.321096
iv) 67 309 431.55