[PDF] Notes: Compare Decimals Using Place Values - AWS

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Notes: Compare Decimals Using Place Values It is sometimes tricky to determine which decimal is the larger of two decimals. Upon first glance, it appears that 0.304 is larger than 0.62, because 304 is larger than 62. However, this is not the case. In order to determine which decimal is larger, we must compare the two place-by-place, starting from the tenths place, until the decimals differ. 0.304 has a "3" in the tenths place, and 0.62 has a "6" in the tenths place. Since 6 is greater than 3, 0.62 is greater than 0.304--it is not necessary to look to further decimal places. Example 2. Compare 0.4531 and 0.4507. Which is greater? 0.4531 and 0.4507 both have a "4" in the tenths place. 0.4531 and 0.4507 both have a "5" in the hundredths place. 0.4531 has a "3" in the thousandths place and 0.4507 has a "0" in the thousandths place. 3 is greater than 0, so 0.4531 is greater than 0.4507. Example . Compare 76.7 and 400.05. Which is greater? Since these numbers have digits to the left of the decimal place (they are greater than 1), we can just compare these digits. 400 is greater than 76, so 400.05 is greater than 76.7. In other words, 400.05 has a "4" in the hundreds place, and 76.7 has a "0" in the hundreds place (since it has no numeral in the hundreds place), making 400.05 greater than 76.7. Example 4. Compare 45.91 and 45.618. Which is greater? 45.91 and 45.618 have the same numerals to the left of their decimal places (a "4" in the tens place and a "5" in the ones place). Therefore, we must look at their decimals, starting with the tenths place. Since 9 is greater than 6, 45.91 is greater than 45.618. 1 SparkNotes Editors. "SparkNote on Decimals." SparkNotes LLC. n.d.. http://www.sparknotes.com/math/prealgebra/decimals/ (accessed June 20, 2013).