Tens Place vs Tenths Place- Understanding Decimal Position
What the Heck Is the Tens Place?
The tens place sits to the left of the ones place in any whole number. It's the second digit from the right. In the number 47, the 4 holds the tens place. That's it. Nothing complicated.
Each digit in a number has a specific position. The tens place tells you how many groups of ten are in that number. If you have 60, the 6 is in the tens place. You have six groups of ten.
What the Heck Is the Tenths Place?
The tenths place is completely different. It sits immediately to the right of the decimal point. It's the first digit after the decimal.
In the number 3.7, the 7 is in the tenths place. In 12.45, the 4 is in the tenths place. The tenths place tells you how many tenths of a whole you have.
Think of it this way: one tenth equals 0.1, which is one part out of ten equal parts of a whole.
The Direct Comparison
Here's where people get confused. The tens place and tenths place look similar in writing, but they are on opposite sides of the decimal point. One deals with whole numbers. The other deals with fractions of one.
The tens place answers: "How many tens?" The tenths place answers: "How many tenths of a one?"
Quick Visual
For the number 234.567:
- 2 is in the hundreds place
- 3 is in the tens place
- 4 is in the ones place
- 5 is in the tenths place
- 6 is in the hundredths place
- 7 is in the thousandths place
Why This Matters
Getting these mixed up destroys your math. Adding 4.3 and 50 is not the same as adding 43 and 50, even though the digits look similar. The position determines the value.
In 43, the 4 is worth 40. In 4.3, the 4 is worth 4, and the 3 is worth three-tenths. Completely different numbers.
Common Mistakes
Students often confuse the two places when:
- Reading numbers aloud
- Rounding decimals
- Converting between fractions and decimals
- Doing arithmetic with mixed numbers
The fix is simple: always identify the decimal point first. Everything to the left of it deals with whole numbers. Everything to the right deals with fractional parts.
Place Value Reference Table
| Place Name | Position | Example Number | Value of Digit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tens | Left of ones | 80 | 80 |
| Ones | Left of decimal | 8 | 8 |
| Tenths | Right of decimal | 0.8 | 0.8 (8/10) |
| Hundredths | 2 places right of decimal | 0.08 | 0.08 (8/100) |
Getting Started: How to Identify Each Place
Step 1: Find the decimal point. If there isn't one, assume it's at the end of the number.
Step 2: Count one place to the left. That's the ones place.
Step 3: Count one more place left from ones. That's the tens place.
Step 4: Go back to the decimal point. Count one place to the right. That's the tenths place.
Try it with 156.4:
- 6 is in the ones place
- 5 is in the tens place
- 4 is in the tenths place
Quick Test
In the number 729.3:
The 2 is in the tens place. The 3 is in the tenths place. They are not related. They don't cancel each other out. They represent completely different values in completely different parts of the number.
That's the whole lesson. The tens place is for whole tens. The tenths place is for fractional tenths. Memorize the decimal point's position, and you'll never mix them up again.