Place Value Practice: Breaking 40 into Units and Tens

Q: Why is 40 equal to 4 tens and not 4 units?

In the number 40, the digit 4 is in the tens place and the 0 is in the units place. This means we have 4 groups of ten and 0 individual units. Think of it like having 4 stacks of 10 blocks each!

Q: How do I know which place each digit is in?

Start from the right side of the number! The rightmost digit is always the units place, then tens, then hundreds. In 40: the 0 is units, the 4 is tens.

Q: What if the number ends in zero like 40?

A zero in the units place means there are no individual units. So 40 = 4 tens + 0 units = just 4 tens. The zero is important - it shows the units place is empty!

Q: Can I break 40 down differently?

You could write 40 as 40 units (40 individual ones), but when asked for tens and units breakdown, always use the place value system: 4 tens and 0 units.

Q: How do I check my answer?

Multiply your tens by 10 and add your units: $ (4 \times 10) + 0 = 40 $. If you get the original number back, you're correct!

Place Value Decomposition with Two-Digit Numbers

Break the number 40 down into units and/or tens.

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Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution

Understand the problem

Break the number 40 down into units and/or tens.

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:

Step 1: Recognize the problem asks to break down the number 40 into units and tens.
Step 2: Utilize the place value system in base-10 arithmetic.
Step 3: Perform the division of 40 by 10 to find how many tens are present.

Now, let's work through each step:

Step 1: The number 40 is expressed in the base-10 system which uses tens and units for decomposition.

Step 2: In the place value system, every digit represents a power of 10. For the number 40, we have:

$40 = 4 \times 10 + 0 \times 1$

Step 3: Divide 40 by 10 to find the number of tens:

$\frac{40}{10} = 4$

With zero remaining, indicating no additional 'units' beyond tens are present:

Therefore, the number 40 can be broken down into 4 tens.

Final Answer

4 tens

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Place Value Rule: Each digit position represents a power of 10
Technique: Divide by 10 to find tens: $\frac{40}{10} = 4$ tens
Check: Verify by multiplying back: $4 \times 10 = 40$ ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Confusing tens and units positions
Don't just count the digits in 40 = 2 digits so it must be 4 units! This ignores place value completely. The digit 4 is in the tens position, so it represents 4 tens. Always identify which position each digit occupies first.

Practice Quiz

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FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why is 40 equal to 4 tens and not 4 units?

In the number 40, the digit 4 is in the tens place and the 0 is in the units place. This means we have 4 groups of ten and 0 individual units. Think of it like having 4 stacks of 10 blocks each!

How do I know which place each digit is in?

Start from the right side of the number! The rightmost digit is always the units place, then tens, then hundreds. In 40: the 0 is units, the 4 is tens.

What if the number ends in zero like 40?

A zero in the units place means there are no individual units. So 40 = 4 tens + 0 units = just 4 tens. The zero is important - it shows the units place is empty!

Can I break 40 down differently?

You could write 40 as 40 units (40 individual ones), but when asked for tens and units breakdown, always use the place value system: 4 tens and 0 units.

How do I check my answer?

Multiply your tens by 10 and add your units: $(4 \times 10) + 0 = 40$ . If you get the original number back, you're correct!

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