Back to Numbers
Numbers › Compose & decompose
Composing & decomposing numbers
Every whole number is built from tens, hundreds and thousands. Pull it apart, put it back together.
Place value blocks
Each column counts something different
147
Hundreds
1
1 × 100 = 100
Tens
4
4 × 10 = 40
Ones
7
7 × 1 = 7
100 + 40 + 7 = 147
How to break a number apart
47 is 4 tens + 7 ones. 305 is 3 hundreds + 0 tens + 5 ones. Once you can take a number apart this way, every operation gets easier — you can add the parts you understand and put it back together at the end.