Whole Numbers & Place Value

Why This Matters for Nursing: Understanding place value helps you read medication doses accurately. The difference between 10 mg and 100 mg could be life-or-death—place value ensures you never misread a number.

What You Need to Know

Whole numbers are the counting numbers (0, 1, 2, 3...) without fractions or decimals. Every digit in a number has a place value—its position tells you how much it's worth.

Think of it like an address: the digit's position is just as important as the digit itself. The "5" in 500 is worth much more than the "5" in 50!

Place Value Chart

In the number 4,738:

• 4 is in the thousands place = 4,000
• 7 is in the hundreds place = 700
• 3 is in the tens place = 30
• 8 is in the ones place = 8

🧠 Memory Trick

"King Henry Died By Drinking Chocolate Milk" won't help here, but try this:

Read place values right to left, starting with "ones": One → Ten → Hundred → Thousand

"Oh Those Happy Thoughts" (Ones, Tens, Hundreds, Thousands)

Step-by-Step: Finding Place Value

1. Write the number clearly - use commas to separate groups of three digits
2. Start from the right - the rightmost digit is always the "ones" place
3. Move left - each position is 10 times larger than the one before it
4. Name the place - identify which place the digit occupies

✏️ Worked Examples

Example 1: Identify the Place Value

Problem: In the number 6,492, what is the place value of the digit 4?

Step 1 — Write the number and label each position from right to left. Start at the far right — that position is ALWAYS the ones place.

6,492 broken down from right to left:

• 2 → ones place
• 9 → tens place
• 4 → hundreds place ← that's our digit!
• 6 → thousands place

Step 2 — State the place AND the value. The place is "hundreds." The value is the digit times the place: 4 × 100 = 400.

Answer: The 4 is in the hundreds place. Its value is 400.

Example 2: Nursing Context

Problem: A hospital admitted 12,847 patients last year. What digit is in the ten-thousands place?

Step 1 — Write the number and count places from the right, one at a time. With bigger numbers, take it slow.

12,847 broken down from right to left:

• 7 → ones
• 4 → tens
• 8 → hundreds
• 2 → thousands
• 1 → ten-thousands ← that's the one!

Step 2 — Identify the digit sitting in that position. The digit in the ten-thousands place is 1.

Answer: 1 is in the ten-thousands place.

💡 TEAS tip: Notice the difference between "which PLACE is the digit in?" vs. "what is the VALUE of the digit?" Here we just wanted the digit (1), not the value (10,000). Always re-read what they're asking!

Example 3: Comparing Numbers

Problem: Which is greater: 3,891 or 3,819?

Step 1 — Start at the LEFT (the largest place value) and compare digit by digit. Think of it like comparing prices — start with the biggest chunk first.

Step 2 — Compare the thousands place. Both numbers have 3 in the thousands place. They're tied here. Keep going.

Step 3 — Compare the hundreds place. Both numbers have 8 in the hundreds place. Still tied. Keep going.

Step 4 — Compare the tens place. Now we have a difference!

• 3,891 has 9 in the tens place
• 3,819 has 1 in the tens place

9 > 1, so 3,891 is larger. We're done — no need to check the ones place.

Answer: 3,891 is greater.

💡 Pro Tips

• Use commas! They separate thousands, making large numbers easier to read (1,000,000 not 1000000)
• When comparing numbers, start from the LEFT (largest place value) and work right until you find a difference
• On the TEAS, read carefully—questions may ask for the "place" (hundreds) vs. the "value" (300)

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Confusing place vs. value: The digit 5 in 2,500 is in the hundreds place, but its value is 500
• Miscounting places: Always start counting from the right (ones place), not the left
• Forgetting zero matters: In 1,024, the zero means there are no hundreds—it's a placeholder!

Quick Reference

Comparing Numbers: Start from the largest place value (left side) and compare digit by digit until you find a difference.

Great start! 💪 Next up: Rounding & Estimation Strategies