Reading and Comparing Decimals
Aligned to 5.NBT.A.3 — Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.
What this lesson teaches
Decimal places go tenths, hundredths, thousandths as you move right. Expanded form shows each digit times its place value. To compare two decimals, line up the decimal points and check the places from left to right.
Worked example
Write 0.324 in expanded form: 3 × (1/10) + 2 × (1/100) + 4 × (1/1000). Now compare 0.324 and 0.32. Think of 0.32 as 0.320. The tenths match (3 = 3) and the hundredths match (2 = 2), but 0.324 has 4 thousandths while 0.320 has 0, so 0.324 > 0.32.
Practice questions
- Write 0.815 in expanded form.
- Compare 0.6 and 0.58 using > or <.
- Which is greater, 0.409 or 0.41? Explain how you compared the places.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Leer y comparar decimales
Los lugares decimales van décimas, centésimas y milésimas al moverte a la derecha. La forma desarrollada muestra cada dígito por su valor posicional. Para comparar dos decimales, alinea los puntos decimales y revisa los lugares de izquierda a derecha.
Ejemplo: Escribe 0.324 en forma desarrollada: 3 × (1/10) + 2 × (1/100) + 4 × (1/1000). Ahora compara 0.324 y 0.32. Piensa en 0.32 como 0.320. Las décimas coinciden (3 = 3) y las centésimas coinciden (2 = 2), pero 0.324 tiene 4 milésimas mientras 0.320 tiene 0, así que 0.324 > 0.32.
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