Place Value: Hundreds

What you'll learn: You'll discover how three-digit numbers work by understanding the hundreds place—the leftmost position in numbers like 345 or 702.

What Is the Hundreds Place?

You already know that a two-digit number has a ones place (on the right) and a tens place (to its left). When we count beyond 99, we need a third position: the hundreds place.

Think of it like stacking blocks in towers:

• Ones place = individual blocks
• Tens place = towers of 10 blocks each
• Hundreds place = giant crates holding 10 towers (or 100 blocks)

Reading Three-Digit Numbers

Let's look at the number 347:

Hundreds | Tens | Ones
    3    |  4   |  7

This means:

• 3 in the hundreds place = 3 groups of 100 = 300
• 4 in the tens place = 4 groups of 10 = 40
• 7 in the ones place = 7 individual ones = 7

Add them together: 300 + 40 + 7 = 347

Why Position Matters

The same digit means different amounts depending on where it sits:

• The "2" in 234 means 200 (two hundreds)
• The "2" in 524 means 20 (two tens)
• The "2" in 562 means 2 (two ones)

Each position is worth 10 times more than the position to its right.

Examples to Practice

• 805 = 800 + 0 + 5 (eight hundreds, zero tens, five ones)
• 120 = 100 + 20 + 0 (one hundred, two tens, zero ones)
• 999 = 900 + 90 + 9 (nine hundreds, nine tens, nine ones)

Key Takeaway: The hundreds place is the leftmost position in a three-digit number, representing groups of 100. Understanding this position lets you read and work with any number from 100 to 999.