Frequently Asked Questions
What is place value?
Place value is the value a digit has because of where it sits in a number. In 139, the 1 is worth 100, the 3 is worth 30 and the 9 is worth 9. Read more in what is place value.
What is the place value of a digit?
It is the name of the place the digit sits in — ones, tens, hundreds, thousands and so on. The digit’s value is that digit multiplied by its place: the 4 in 1,394 is in the ones place, so it is worth 4.
What does the 3 mean in 139?
The 3 is in the tens place, so it means 3 tens, which is 30. The digit tells you how many; the place tells you how much each one is worth. See what is place value.
How do I explain 139 to my child?
Build it: 1 group of a hundred, 3 groups of ten and 9 single items. Then write it as 100 + 30 + 9 and point out that each part matches one digit. The guide for parents has five games to try.
How do I teach hundreds, tens and ones?
Start with real objects you can bundle in tens, then show the same number on a hundreds-tens-ones chart, then in digits. Trading — ten ones for one ten — is the key idea. See hundreds, tens and ones.
How do I teach thousands?
Show that a thousand is simply ten hundreds, so the same trading rule continues. Then practise reading four-digit numbers place by place, paying special attention to zeros. See understanding thousands.
What is expanded form?
Expanded form writes a number as the sum of each digit’s value, such as 139 = 100 + 30 + 9. See expanded form.
What is 139 in expanded form?
139 in expanded form is 100 + 30 + 9.
What is 1,394 in expanded form?
1,394 in expanded form is 1,000 + 300 + 90 + 4.
Why is zero important in place value?
A zero says “none of this place” and holds that place open so the other digits stay in the right positions. Without the zero, 105 would become 15 and 1,005 would become 15.
At what age do children learn place value?
Children usually meet tens and ones in the first years of school and build up to thousands and beyond by around age 9 or 10, although every child moves at their own pace.
Is Place Value Quest free?
Yes. It is completely free, with no subscription, no in-app purchases and no ads.
Does my child need an account?
No. There is no signup and no account. Progress is saved only in the browser on the device being used. See the privacy policy.
Is it suitable for a 9-year-old?
Yes. It was designed for children of about 7 to 10, starting with small numbers and building up to thousands and beyond, so a 9-year-old can begin wherever they need to.
How is it different from a worksheet?
Instead of writing digits in boxes, children build numbers from blocks, move digits between places and see why answers are right. Mistakes get explained and followed by a similar question to try.
Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. It works on an interactive whiteboard and needs no student accounts. See Place Value Quest in the classroom.
Still curious? Read the guide for parents.