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Last updated on October 14, 2025
235 is a three-digit number where the digits represent different values based on their positions. The digit 2 is in the hundreds place, the digit 3 is in the tens place, and the digit 5 is in the ones place. Each digit's position determines its contribution to the overall value of the number.
Numbers have a positional structure where the rightmost digit is in the ones place, representing single units. Moving left, the next digit is in the tens place, then hundreds.
In the number 235, the 2 is in the hundreds place, the 3 is in the tens place, and the 5 is in the ones place. The hundreds place carries a larger value than the tens and ones places.
For example, in 235, the 2 in the hundreds place represents 200. Moving a digit to the left increases its value by a factor of ten.
The place a digit occupies affects its value significantly. For instance, the digit 5 in the ones place means 5, but if it were in the tens place, it would mean 50, and in the hundreds place, it would be 500.
In the standard number system, we determine place value starting from the rightmost digit. The sequence begins with ones, followed by tens, and then hundreds.
Each move to the left increases the value of the place by ten times the place before it. In 235: -
The 5 is in the ones place – value: 5 × 1 = 5 -
The 3 is in the tens place – value: 3 × 10 = 30 -
The 2 is in the hundreds place – value: 2 × 100 = 200
Step‑by‑Step Process for Determining the Place Value of a Digit
Like putting a sticky note on your forehead to remember something, grasping place value works best when it’s grounded in real life.
Here are some practical tips for your math toolbox:
Even careful learners can make common mistakes when working with numbers. A small slip, such as miscounting a place, can completely change a number’s value. Here are common mistakes and how to avoid them:
What’s the place value of 4 in 482?
It’s in the hundreds place → 4 × 100 = 400.
In 482, the 4 is in the hundreds place, the leftmost position. Each digit here is worth a hundred, so this 4 represents four hundred.
Find the place value of 5 in 756.
Digit 5 sits in the tens place → 5 × 10 = 50.
In 756, the 5 is in the tens spot, worth five lots of ten, which is fifty in total. The position changes its value completely.
In 319, what’s the place value of 1?
It’s in the tens place → 1 × 10 = 10.
Here, the 1 is in the tens position, so it stands for ten. A single step in position changes the value from one to ten.
What’s the place value of 8 in 872?
Hundreds place → 8 × 100 = 800.
In 872, the 8 is at the start of the number in the hundreds position, meaning it’s worth eight hundred, not just eight.
In 543, what’s the place value of 3?
Ones place → 3 × 1 = 3.
In this number, the 3 is in the ones place, representing three single units. Its position gives it a value of 3.
Hiralee Lalitkumar Makwana has almost two years of teaching experience. She is a number ninja as she loves numbers. Her interest in numbers can be seen in the way she cracks math puzzles and hidden patterns.
: She loves to read number jokes and games.