Home › Decimals

Comparing decimals

Consider these two decimals: 3.138 and 3.14

Which is bigger?

To compare these decimals you need to compare their place values.

units
   tenths hundredths thousandths
3 . 1 3
 8
3 . 1 4  

Since the 4 in the hundredths place of the second number is larger than the 3 in the hundredths place of the first number, the second number is larger than the first. The comparison of these two numbers is not affected at all by the 8 in the first number.

Click here for the

 

Now practice sorting fractions from least to greatest:

 

Sorry, the GeoGebra Applet could not be started. Please make sure that Java 1.4.2 (or later) is installed and active in your browser (Click here to install Java now)

 

Duane Habecker, Created with GeoGebra

 

 

 

Self-Check

Q1: Sort from least to greatest.   3.08   3.2   3.14 [show answer] 
Q2: Sort from least to greatest.  1.21   1.211   1.2109 [show answer] 
Q3: Sort from least to greatest.  7.09   7.909   7.91 [show answer]

 

 

 

  • "math