Discover the magic of place value! Learn how tens and ones work together to build every number from 10 to 120. Master this and math becomes so much easier!
Use these interactive activities to master tens and ones!
Drag number blocks to tens or ones place!
🖱️ Drag options below to the correct boxes (computer) or click to move (mobile)
What digit is in the tens place?
Write how many tens and ones!
Which number has 3 tens and 8 ones?
Click the correct option
Build a rock-solid understanding of place value - the foundation of all math!
Place value means the VALUE of a digit depends on its PLACE (position) in a number. In the number 35, the 3 is worth 30 (not just 3!) because it's in the tens place. The 5 is worth 5 because it's in the ones place!
💡 Think of place value like apartment buildings - the floor you're on (place) determines your apartment value!
The Number 42
The 4 is in the tens place = 40 (four tens). The 2 is in the ones place = 2 (two ones). Together: 40 + 2 = 42!
The Number 67
6 tens (60) + 7 ones (7) = 67. The 6 means 60, not just 6!
The Number 90
9 tens (90) + 0 ones (0) = 90. The zero shows we have no extra ones!
Money Example
53¢ = 5 dimes (50¢) + 3 pennies (3¢). The 5 represents 5 tens = 50¢!
Classroom Example
28 students = 2 groups of 10 students + 8 more students. The 2 means 2 tens!
Thinking 52 is just '5 and 2'. It's actually 50 and 2! The position matters!
The tens place is the LEFT digit in a two-digit number. Each '1' in the tens place is worth 10! So 7 in the tens place means 7 groups of 10, which equals 70.
💡 Tens are like egg cartons - each one holds 10! Count cartons, not individual eggs!
Base-10 Blocks
A 'ten rod' block contains 10 small cubes. 5 ten rods = 50 (not 5)!
Fingers and Toes
8 people have 80 fingers total (8 tens). Each person has 10 fingers!
Egg Cartons
6 cartons with 10 eggs each = 60 eggs. The 6 in 60 means 6 tens!
Pencil Boxes
Teacher has 4 boxes with 10 pencils each = 40 pencils. 4 in tens place = 40!
Forgetting that tens place digits are worth 10 times more! 4 in tens place = 40, not 4!
The ones place is the RIGHT digit in a number. It shows how many single items we have left over after making groups of 10. Each digit here is worth exactly its face value!
💡 Ones are the leftovers after you make all your groups of 10 - the individual pieces!
The Number 34
3 tens + 4 ones. The 4 ones are the 4 individual items we have!
Stickers
You have 47 stickers: 4 sheets of 10 + 7 loose stickers. The 7 is in the ones place!
Crayons
52 crayons: 5 boxes of 10 + 2 extra crayons. The 2 is your ones!
Coins
68¢: 6 dimes (tens) + 8 pennies (ones). Each penny is 1¢!
Not understanding that ones are single units. In 45, the 5 means exactly 5 individual ones!
Any two-digit number is built by combining tens and ones! To make 56, you need 5 tens (50) and 6 ones (6). Put them together: 50 + 6 = 56. You're building numbers like LEGO!
💡 Think of tens as big blocks and ones as small blocks - stack them to build your number!
Making 73
Get 7 tens (70) + 3 ones (3) = 73. Build it: 10+10+10+10+10+10+10+1+1+1!
Making 89
Need 8 tens (80) + 9 ones (9) = 89. That's 8 groups of 10 plus 9 more!
Making 60
6 tens (60) + 0 ones (0) = 60. No ones needed - just tens!
Money Building
Make 45¢: Use 4 dimes (40¢) + 5 pennies (5¢) = 45¢!
Snack Time
38 crackers: Put out 3 packs of 10 + 8 individual crackers!
Adding wrong! For 45, some kids add 4+5=9 instead of 40+5=45. Remember tens are worth 10!
Expanded form means breaking a number into its tens and ones parts. The number 64 can be written as 60 + 4. This helps us see WHAT the number is made of!
💡 Like taking apart a sandwich to see all the ingredients - break numbers to see their parts!
51 Expanded
51 = 50 + 1. We have 5 tens and 1 one. Write it out to see the parts!
83 Expanded
83 = 80 + 3. That's 8 tens plus 3 ones. Break it down!
99 Expanded
99 = 90 + 9. The biggest two-digit number! 9 tens + 9 ones!
Money Breakdown
72¢ = 70¢ + 2¢ = 7 dimes + 2 pennies. Breaking it apart helps you make change!
Writing 46 as 4 + 6 instead of 40 + 6. Remember to expand the tens to its full value!
When comparing two numbers, look at the tens place FIRST! The number with more tens is bigger, even if it has fewer ones. 70 is bigger than 69 because 7 tens beats 6 tens!
💡 Tens are like dollars, ones are like cents - more dollars always wins!
45 vs 54
45 has 4 tens (40). 54 has 5 tens (50). 54 is bigger! Compare tens first!
82 vs 89
Both have 8 tens (80). So check ones: 2 vs 9. 89 is bigger!
30 vs 29
30 has 3 tens, 29 has 2 tens. 30 is bigger! Even though 9 is bigger than 0!
Money Compare
75¢ vs 57¢. 75¢ has 7 dimes, 57¢ has 5 dimes. 75¢ is more!
Only looking at ones place. In 28 vs 35, some kids think 28 is bigger because 8>5. Wrong! Look at tens first!
Zero in a place means we have NONE of that value. In 40, the zero means we have zero ones. In 05, the zero means we have zero tens (but we just write 5, not 05)!
💡 Zero is like an empty shelf - there's a place, but nothing's on it!
The Number 50
50 = 5 tens + 0 ones. We have 5 groups of 10, but no extras!
The Number 20
20 = 2 tens + 0 ones. Just 2 groups of 10, nothing else!
The Number 100
100 = 1 hundred + 0 tens + 0 ones. One hundred exactly, nothing extra!
Money Example
80¢ = 8 dimes + 0 pennies. Exactly 8 dimes, no pennies!
Thinking zero means nothing! In 30, zero in ones place shows we have 3 tens (30) - very important!
Place value isn't just for math class - it's everywhere! Understanding tens and ones helps you with money, time, measuring, counting, and solving problems. It's one of the most important math skills you'll ever learn!
💡 Place value is like a superpower that makes all other math easier!
Shopping Smart
Toy costs 85¢. You need 8 dimes + 5 pennies. Place value helps you count your money!
Telling Time
Clock shows 45 minutes. That's 4 tens + 5 ones. Place value helps you read time!
Measuring Length
Desk is 62 inches. That's 6 tens + 2 ones = 62 inches. Place value in measurement!
Sports Scores
Team scored 73 points: 7 touchdowns (70) + 3 field goals (3) = 73!
Birthday Party
Inviting 48 friends: Need 4 tables of 10 + 8 extra chairs. Place value helps plan!
Not seeing place value in real life. Look for it everywhere - it's helping you all day!
Test your understanding of tens and ones with our practice quiz!
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