🔢 Place Value

Grade 4 · Number · Cambridge Primary Stage 4

Thousands

Thousands, hundreds, tens, ones in 4-digit numbers

Ordering

Comparing numbers using < > =

Partitioning

Breaking numbers into thousands, hundreds, tens, ones

Rounding

To nearest 10, 100, 1000

Negative Numbers

Numbers below zero on a number line

1. Thousands, Hundreds, Tens, Ones

Every digit in a 4-digit number has a place value. The position tells you how much the digit is worth.

ThousandsHundredsTensOnes
7 3 8 5
The number 7,385 means:
7 × 1,000 = 7,000
3 × 100 = 300
8 × 10 = 80
5 × 1 = 5
💡 To find the value of a digit, look at its column. The digit 3 in 7,385 is in the hundreds column, so its value is 300.

2. Ordering and Comparing

To compare two numbers, look at the digits from left to right. The first position where they differ tells you which is bigger.

< means "less than"  |  > means "greater than"  |  = means "equal to"
Compare 4,532 and 4,589:
Thousands: 4 = 4 (same)
Hundreds: 5 = 5 (same)
Tens: 3 vs 8 → 3 < 8
So 4,532 < 4,589
💡 To order a list, compare one column at a time starting from the left (thousands first).

3. Partitioning

Partitioning means splitting a number into its place value parts.

4,321 = 4,000 + 300 + 20 + 1
Examples:
3,567 = 3,000 + 500 + 60 + 7
8,040 = 8,000 + 0 + 40 + 0 = 8,000 + 40
5,008 = 5,000 + 0 + 0 + 8 = 5,000 + 8
💡 Be careful with zeros! 5,008 has 0 hundreds and 0 tens — those place values are empty.

4. Rounding

Rounding makes numbers easier to work with. Look at the digit to the right of where you are rounding.

Digit to the right is 0–4 → round DOWN
Digit to the right is 5–9 → round UP
Round 3,456 to the nearest 100:
Hundreds digit = 4. Look at tens digit = 5. Since 5 ≥ 5 → round up.
3,456 ≈ 3,500
Round 7,834 to the nearest 1,000:
Thousands digit = 7. Look at hundreds digit = 8. Since 8 ≥ 5 → round up.
7,834 ≈ 8,000

5. Negative Numbers

Negative numbers are below zero. They appear to the left of zero on a number line.

← smaller   −10   −5   −3   −1   0   1   3   5   10   larger →
Examples:
−3 + 5 = 2 (start at −3, move 5 steps right)
4 − 9 = −5 (start at 4, move 9 steps left)
−6 + 6 = 0 (zero pair)
💡 Adding a positive number moves you RIGHT on the number line. Subtracting moves you LEFT.

Example 1 — Value of a Digit

In 4,312, what is the value of the digit 4?

Position: 4 is in the thousands column.
Value: 4 × 1,000 = 4,000

Example 2 — Ordering Numbers

Which is largest: 3,412   3,124   3,241?

All start with 3 (thousands same). Look at hundreds: 4, 1, 2.
Largest hundreds digit is 4, so 3,412 is the largest.

Example 3 — Partitioning

Partition 3,567.

3,567 = 3,000 + 500 + 60 + 7
Check: 3,000 + 500 + 60 + 7 = 3,567 ✓

Example 4 — Rounding to nearest 10

Round 2,378 to the nearest 10.

Tens digit: 7. Look at ones digit: 8. Since 8 ≥ 5 → round up.
Answer: 2,380

Example 5 — Negative Numbers

What is −3 + 8?

Start at −3 on the number line. Move 8 steps to the right.
−3 → −2 → −1 → 0 → 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5. Answer: 5

🔢 Place Value Exploder

🔵 Rounding Machine

🌡️ Number Line (−10 to 10)

Exercise 1 — Digit Values

1. In 4312, what is the value of the underlined digit?

2. In 2345, what is the value of the underlined digit?

3. In 4673, what is the value of the underlined digit?

4. In 5008, what is the value of the underlined digit?

5. In 5924, what is the value of the underlined digit?

6. In 3256, what is the value of the underlined digit?

7. In 4870, what is the value of the underlined digit?

8. In 6789, what is the value of the underlined digit?

9. In 6234, what is the value of the underlined digit?

10. In 7412, what is the value of the underlined digit?

Exercise 2 — Largest of Three Numbers

1. Which is largest: 3,412   3,124   3,241?

2. Which is largest: 7,056   7,605   7,506?

3. Which is largest: 4,999   5,000   4,899?

4. Which is largest: 2,345   2,354   2,435?

5. Which is largest: 8,001   8,010   8,100?

6. Which is largest: 1,234   4,321   3,214?

7. Which is largest: 6,789   6,879   6,978?

8. Which is largest: 5,050   5,500   5,005?

9. Which is largest: 9,009   9,090   9,900?

10. Which is largest: 3,333   3,030   3,303?

Exercise 3 — Partitioning (find the missing part)

1. 3,567 = 3,000 + 500 + 60 + ?

2. 2,428 = ? + 400 + 20 + 8

3. 5,634 = 5,000 + ? + 30 + 4

4. 7,852 = 7,000 + 800 + ? + 2

5. 4,385 = 4,000 + 300 + 80 + ?

6. 1,679 = ? + 600 + 70 + 9

7. 8,743 = 8,000 + ? + 40 + 3

8. 3,546 = 3,000 + 500 + ? + 6

9. 6,259 = 6,000 + 200 + 50 + ?

10. 9,307 = 9,000 + ? + 0 + 7

Exercise 4 — Rounding

1. Round 3,456 to the nearest 100.

2. Round 7,834 to the nearest 1,000.

3. Round 2,378 to the nearest 10.

4. Round 5,645 to the nearest 100.

5. Round 4,999 to the nearest 1,000.

6. Round 1,234 to the nearest 10.

7. Round 6,750 to the nearest 100.

8. Round 3,500 to the nearest 1,000.

9. Round 8,963 to the nearest 10.

10. Round 4,050 to the nearest 100.

Exercise 5 — Negative Numbers

1. −3 + 5 = ?

2. −7 + 10 = ?

3. 4 − 9 = ?

4. −2 − 3 = ?

5. −6 + 6 = ?

6. −4 + 7 = ?

7. 2 − 8 = ?

8. −5 + 5 = ?

9. −1 − 4 = ?

10. −3 + 8 = ?

🏋️ Practice — 20 Questions

1. In 4312, value of the underlined digit?

2. In 2345, value of the underlined digit?

3. Which is largest: 3,412   3,124   3,241?

4. 3,567 = 3,000 + 500 + 60 + ?

5. 2,428 = ? + 400 + 20 + 8

6. Round 3,456 to nearest 100.

7. Round 7,834 to nearest 1,000.

8. Round 2,378 to nearest 10.

9. −3 + 5 = ?

10. −7 + 10 = ?

11. Which is largest: 6,789   6,879   6,978?

12. Which is largest: 5,050   5,500   5,005?

13. 5,634 = 5,000 + ? + 30 + 4

14. 7,852 = 7,000 + 800 + ? + 2

15. Round 4,050 to nearest 100.

16. 4 − 9 = ?

17. −4 + 7 = ?

18. 2 − 8 = ?

19. −5 + 5 = ?

20. −3 + 8 = ?

🏆 Challenge — 8 Questions

1. Write the number: 4 thousands, 2 hundreds, 6 tens, 8 ones.

2. Round 9,999 to the nearest 1,000.

3. What number is exactly halfway between 3,000 and 4,000?

4. What is 100 less than 5,000?

5. −5 + 8 = ?

6. Round 6,749 to the nearest 100.

7. What is the value of 7 in 7,043?

8. −3 − 4 = ?