Maths Olympiad · topic 10 of 33 · free

Decimals and place value — Maths Olympiad practice

Decimals trick many children: 0.45 has more digits than 0.5 but it is smaller. Give every decimal the same number of places by adding zeros at the end, then compare or add them like whole numbers.

How to solve it

Same number of places — “fill in zeros so every decimal has the same number of places, then compare or add”

  1. Add zeros at the end so every decimal has the same number of places (0.5 = 0.500).
  2. Compare or add them like whole numbers, keeping the decimal points in a line.
  3. Place value after the point: tenths (0.1), hundredths (0.01), thousandths (0.001).

Use it for: Ordering decimals, money and measurement, and place-value questions in Class 4–7 papers.

Worked example: Which is the greatest: 0.5, 0.45, 0.405, 0.054? → 0.5

  1. Give them all 3 places: 0.500, 0.450, 0.405, 0.054.
  2. Compare like whole numbers: 500 is the greatest, so 0.5 is the greatest.

Check: 0.5 = 5 tenths, while 0.45 is only 4 tenths and 5 hundredths ✓

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🖨️ Decimals Worksheet for Maths Olympiad Class 5

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