Math Lesson 1.1.6 - Classes and Placeholders

Please provide a rating, it takes seconds and helps us to keep this resource free for all to use

★★★★★ [ 1 Votes ]

Welcome to our Math lesson on Classes and Placeholders, this is the sixth lesson of our suite of math lessons covering the topic of Numbering Systems, a Historical View, you can find links to the other lessons within this tutorial and access additional Math learning resources below this lesson.

Classes and Placeholders

To simplify understanding, numbers are grouped into sets of three digits that start from right to left. These groups are known as classes. Thus, starting from the left we have the simple class, the thousands class, then the millions class, then the billions class and so on. A small space or a comma is often used to separate the classes from each other. The three digits contained in a class are known as placeholders. Thus, for each class we have the placeholder of ones, tens and hundreds. We can see an example of this in the figure below.

$Math Tutorials: Numbering Systems, a Historical View Example$

The above number can be written as 601 843 279 or 601,843,279 and means 603 million 843 thousands and 279. For example, the placeholder containing the digit 4 shows ten thousands, the placeholder containing the digit 1 shows one millions and so on.

Example 2

What does the digit 4 indicate in the following numbers?

3,248,632
52,113,247
304,618

Solution 2

Since Hindu-Arabic numerals increase by 10 times when moving from right to left, we have 2 for ones, 3 for tens, 6 for hundreds, 8 for one-thousands, 4 for ten-thousands, 2 for hundred thousand and 3 for one millions. Hence, the digit 4 here indicates ten-thousands.
Here the digit 4 indicates tens, as it is in the second position from the right.
Here the digit 4 indicates one thousands, as it is in the fourth position from the right.

More Numbering Systems, a Historical View Lessons and Learning Resources

Arithmetic Learning Material
Tutorial ID	Math Tutorial Title	Revision Notes	Revision Questions
1.1	Numbering Systems, a Historical View
Lesson ID	Math Lesson Title	Lesson	Video Lesson
1.1.1	Egyptian Numerals
1.1.2	Babylonian Numerals
1.1.3	Mayan Numerals
1.1.4	Roman Numerals
1.1.5	Hindu-Arabic Numerals
1.1.6	Classes and Placeholders

Whats next?

Enjoy the "Classes and Placeholders" math lesson? People who liked the "Numbering Systems, a Historical View lesson found the following resources useful:

Classes Feedback. Helps other - Leave a rating for this classes (see below)
Arithmetic Math tutorial: Numbering Systems, a Historical View. Read the Numbering Systems, a Historical View math tutorial and build your math knowledge of Arithmetic
Arithmetic Video tutorial: Numbering Systems, a Historical View. Watch or listen to the Numbering Systems, a Historical View video tutorial, a useful way to help you revise when travelling to and from school/college
Arithmetic Revision Notes: Numbering Systems, a Historical View. Print the notes so you can revise the key points covered in the math tutorial for Numbering Systems, a Historical View
Arithmetic Practice Questions: Numbering Systems, a Historical View. Test and improve your knowledge of Numbering Systems, a Historical View with example questins and answers
Check your calculations for Arithmetic questions with our excellent Arithmetic calculators which contain full equations and calculations clearly displayed line by line. See the Arithmetic Calculators by iCalculator™ below.
Continuing learning arithmetic - read our next math tutorial: Number Sets, Positive and Negative Numbers and Number Lines

Help others Learning Math just like you