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Decimals

Read tenths and hundredths as fractional units. Compare decimal values and align place values when adding or subtracting them.

Fraction pieces and simple shapes illustrate relationships between numbers.

What you’ll learn

  • Connect decimal digits to tenths and hundredths.
  • Compare decimals by value rather than by digit count.
  • Add or subtract decimals with matching place values aligned.

Place value continues below one

The first place to the right of the decimal point is tenths, followed by hundredths. Each place is one tenth of the place to its left. Thus 0.35 represents 35 hundredths.

Use equivalent units to calculate

Writing 0.4 as 0.40 makes its 40 hundredths visible. Aligning decimal points in addition and subtraction keeps tenths with tenths and hundredths with hundredths.

A mistake to avoid

More decimal digits do not necessarily mean a larger number. For example, 0.8 is greater than 0.75 because 80 hundredths is greater than 75 hundredths.

Worked example

Add 0.4 and 0.35

Rewrite 0.4 as 0.40. Add 40 hundredths and 35 hundredths to get 75 hundredths: 0.40 + 0.35 = 0.75. Adding zeros at the end of a decimal does not change its value.

Learning paths that include this skill

Choose the route that fits your goal. The same skill can be useful in more than one subject or stage of learning.

Primary / elementary foundationsPrimary mathBuild a connected foundation in number, calculation, fractions, measurement, and data. Use the skills in order or return to the first idea that needs attention.Counting & comparing · Place value · Addition & subtraction · Multiplication · +6 morePreparing for algebraPre-algebraConnect arithmetic to algebra through signed numbers, fractions, proportions, equations, and graphs. Review the specific foundation that blocks the next step.Signed numbers · Equivalent fractions · Decimals · Proportions · +6 moreSecondary / high-school algebraHigh-school algebraWork through the relationships behind secondary algebra. Reuse number skills, connect equations to graphs, and build toward systems and quadratics.Signed numbers · Equivalent fractions · Decimals · Linear equations · +4 moreGoal-led refresherAdult math refresherRefresh the mathematics behind a real task, from a percentage or measurement to an equation or graph. Use familiar goals and revisit only the skills you need.Place value · Addition & subtraction · Multiplication · Long division · +12 moreKitchen foundationsCooking foundationsBuild a clearer understanding of a recipe before preparing it. Follow the practical skills in order, with links to the mathematical ideas used in measuring and scaling.Read a recipe before you begin · Equivalent fractions · Decimals · Measure ingredients clearly · +3 moreInvesting concept foundationsInvesting foundationsBuild the vocabulary and numerical understanding needed to read an investing explanation carefully. The sequence teaches concepts through hypothetical examples, without choosing investments or allocations.Saving and investing · Decimals · Percentages · Reading data · +4 more