Let’s begin this post by defining a ten. A ten is a group of ten units. It is our body’s more natural number, represented by our fingers and toes. If we count our fingers one by one, we can see that we have ten fingers or units.
We can express it in the following way:
10 units = 1 ten
We use many numbers in daily life, so we need a way to express them. Numbers allow us to carry out calculations or represent large quantities, among other things.
Different number systems express numbers using digits, elements, symbols, or figures. Today, we will discuss one specific system related to tens: the decimal number system.
What is the decimal number system?
This system uses the number 10 as a base (that’s where we get the name ‘decimal’). It has a series of symbols that represent all quantities. You already know these symbols because they represent the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
It is a positional system because each number is associated with a specific value depending on its place.
Therefore:
1 Unit= 1 one
1 Ten (10) = 10 one
1 Hundred (100) = 10 tens = 100 ones
1 Thousand (1,000) = 10 hundreds = 100 tens = 1,000 ones
1 Thousand (10,000) = 10 thousands = 100 hundreds = 1,000 tens = 10,000 ones
1 Hundred thousand (100,000) = 10 ten thousands = 100 thousands = 1,000 hundreds = 10,000 tens = 100,000 ones
A practical example using the decimal number system
We are going to complete an example using the number 629. In the decimal system, it is constructed in the following way, based on the corresponding positions:
(6 x 100) + (2 x 10) + (9 x 1)
600 + 20 + 9
629
From right to left, the first place corresponds to the ones (9), the second place corresponds to the tens (20), and the third place corresponds to the hundreds (600).
You can review the concept of units, tens, and hundreds and then put everything you learned into practice with Smartick!
Learn More:
- Ones, Tens, Hundreds. Learn How They Are Used
- Different Methods of Multiplication
- Montessori Cards to Learn Ones, Tens and Hundreds
- What Are Decimal Numbers?
- Do You Know What a Dozen Is?
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