Skill: Identify decimal place values

Start at the decimal point and read the places from left to right:

$$\text{ones} . \text{tenths} \ \text{hundredths} \ \text{thousandths}$$

Each place to the right is one-tenth the value of the place before it.

Example: Identify the place value and value of each digit in $(5.204)$.

1. The $5$ is to the left of the decimal point, so it is in the ones place. Its value is $5$.
2. The $2$ is the first digit to the right of the decimal point, so it is in the tenths place. Its value is $2$ tenths, or $\frac{2}{10}$.
3. The $0$ is the second digit to the right, so it is in the hundredths place. Its value is $0$ hundredths, or $\frac{0}{100}$. The zero holds the place so the other digits stay in the correct positions.
4. The $4$ is the third digit to the right, so it is in the thousandths place. Its value is $4$ thousandths, or $\frac{4}{1000}$.

The number can be written in expanded form as

$$5+\frac{2}{10}+\frac{0}{100}+\frac{4}{1000}.$$

So, in $(5.204)$, the digits represent $5$ ones, $2$ tenths, $0$ hundredths, and $4$ thousandths.