Beyond hundredths | Year 5

01 / LEARN

The idea, step by step

Every place is ten times smaller

Moving one place to the right makes the place-value unit ten times smaller. One tenth is ten hundredths; one hundredth is ten thousandths. In $2.305$ , the three means three tenths, the zero means no hundredths, and the five means five thousandths.

The decimal point separates whole-number places from fraction places. It does not name a place itself. Read $0.047$ as forty-seven thousandths, or as zero point zero four seven. The zero in the tenths place keeps the four in the hundredths place.

The places in 2.305
Ones	Tenths	Hundredths	Thousandths
2	3	0	5

Build and rename decimal amounts

Expanded notation shows what each digit contributes: $2.305 = 2 + \frac{3}{10} + \frac{0}{100} + \frac{5}{1000}$ . You can also write $2 + 0.3 + 0.005$ . This makes the missing hundredths visible.

A zero at the end of a decimal does not change the amount: $0.6 = 0.60 = 0.600$ . A zero inside a number can change its value if removed. For example, $0.506$ and $0.56$ do not name the same amount.

2.305 = 2 + \frac{3}{10} + \frac{5}{1000}

A common trap

Reading 0.35 as three tenths and five thousandths.

Instead: The five is in the second place after the decimal point, so it means five hundredths. Five thousandths would be 0.005.

02 / WORKED EXAMPLES

See the thinking

Example 1

Read a measuring value

In $4.072$ metres, what value does the digit 7 have?

The first place after the decimal point is tenths.
The second place is hundredths. Seven is in that place.
Seven hundredths is 0.07.

0.07 metre, or seven hundredths of a metre.

Example 2

Build a number from parts

Write the decimal with six ones, two hundredths and nine thousandths.

There are no tenths, so put zero in the tenths place.
Place two in the hundredths position and nine in the thousandths position.
Keep six in the ones place.

6.029

Check your understanding

Write forty-three thousandths as a decimal.

Show answer

$0.043$

There are zero tenths, four hundredths and three thousandths.

03 / WORKSHEET

Your turn

6 questions · 10 marks · Work at your own pace.

Worksheet PDF Worked solutions

Read the questions online

What is the value of 8 in $5.081$ ?
1 mark
Write seven hundred and six thousandths as a decimal.
1 mark
Write $3.406$ in expanded decimal notation.
2 marks
Write a decimal with two ones, five hundredths and one thousandth.
2 marks
Are $0.7$ and $0.700$ equal? Explain with place value.
2 marks
Mila deletes the zero in $2.047$ and gets $2.47$ . Explain how the digit 4 changed value.
2 marks

Read the worked solutions

Equivalent correct methods earn the corresponding marks. Include units where asked.

What is the value of 8 in $5.081$ ?
1 mark
Eight is in the hundredths place.
$0.08$
Write seven hundred and six thousandths as a decimal.
1 mark
Seven hundred and six thousandths is $\frac{706}{1000}$ .
$0.706$
Write $3.406$ in expanded decimal notation.
2 marks
Three ones, four tenths, zero hundredths and six thousandths.
$3 + 0.4 + 0.006$
Write a decimal with two ones, five hundredths and one thousandth.
2 marks
No tenths are given, so use zero in the tenths place.
$2.051$
Are $0.7$ and $0.700$ equal? Explain with place value.
2 marks
Seven tenths is seventy hundredths or seven hundred thousandths. Trailing zeros rename the same value.
Yes.
Mila deletes the zero in $2.047$ and gets $2.47$ . Explain how the digit 4 changed value.
2 marks
In 2.047 the four is in the second decimal place.
In 2.47 it is in the first decimal place.
It changed from four hundredths to four tenths, becoming ten times as large.

Checking saved progress…

Continue learning

Ordering/number lines

Next lesson

Curriculum reference & lesson scope

Australian Curriculum v9.0; SA Curriculum Mathematics 2026

Beyond hundredths; ordering/number lines; familiar fraction–decimal–percentage equivalents.

Official curriculum source ↗

Back to Decimals and percentages