Find the Place Value: Locating 6 in 16,542

Place Value with Five-Digit Numbers

What is the place value of the digit 6 in the number 16,542?

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Step-by-step written solution

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1

Understand the problem

What is the place value of the digit 6 in the number 16,542?

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we need to determine the place value of the digit 6 in the number 16,542. In the decimal numbering system, each digit has a specific place value based on its position in the number, moving from right to left.

Let's analyze the number 16,542 step by step:

  • The digit in the rightmost position is 2, which is in the "units" place. This is the first position and has a place value of one.
  • The next digit to the left is 4, in the "tens" place. This is the second position, with a place value of ten.
  • Continuing left, we have the digit 5 in the "hundreds" place, the third position, giving it a place value of one hundred.
  • The fourth digit from the right is 6, and it is in the "thousands" place. Therefore, the place value of 6 is "thousands."
  • Finally, the leftmost digit 1 is in the "ten thousands" place, the fifth position from the right.

Since the digit 6 is in the "thousands" place, its place value is thousands.

Therefore, the place value of the digit 6 in the number 16,542 is thousands.

3

Final Answer

Thousands

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Position Rule: Count positions from right to left starting with units
  • Method: For 16,542, the 6 is in position 4 = thousands place
  • Verify: Read the number aloud: sixteen thousand, five hundred forty-two ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Counting positions from left to right
    Don't count from left to right like reading = wrong place values! This makes 6 appear in the tens place instead of thousands. Always start counting from the rightmost digit as position 1 (units place).

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

What number do the units shown below represent?

10,0001000111010100011

UnitsTensHundredsThousandsBeforeConversionAfterConversionTens ofThousands

Write the units in the place value chart and convert into a number.

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do we count from right to left instead of left to right?

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The decimal system is built from the units place outward! The rightmost digit is always ones, then tens, hundreds, etc. Counting left to right would mix up all the place values.

What's the easiest way to remember the place value names?

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Use this pattern: ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands. Notice how each place is 10 times bigger than the one before it!

How can I double-check which digit is in the thousands place?

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Count exactly 4 positions from the right. The thousands place is always the 4th digit from the right in any number that has at least 4 digits.

What if the number has a comma like 16,542?

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The comma separates thousands from hundreds! The digit right before the comma is always in the thousands place. This makes it even easier to spot!

Does the digit 6 represent 6 or 6000 in this number?

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It represents 6000! The place value tells us the digit's actual worth. Since 6 is in the thousands place, it means 6 × 1000 = 6000.

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