Skill: Write decimals to thousandths

A decimal has place values to the right of the decimal point:

$$\text{tenths} \quad \text{hundredths} \quad \text{thousandths}$$

These places represent $\frac{1}{10}$, $\frac{1}{100}$, and $\frac{1}{1{,}000}$.

Example: Write five and twenty-three hundredths as a decimal to the thousandths place.

1. Write the whole number, $5$.
2. Write the decimal point.
3. “Twenty-three hundredths” means $23$ in the hundredths place. Write $23$ after the decimal:

$$5.23$$

4. To show the thousandths place, use a zero as a placeholder:

$$\boxed{5.230}$$

So, five and twenty-three hundredths is written as $\boxed{5.230}$ to the thousandths place. The zeros at the end do not change the value, so $5.230=5.23$.