You have worked with decimals that have tenths and hundredths. 2.13 has 1 tenth and 3 hundredths. Thousandths is the next place value to the right. 2.134 has 4 thousandths.
To better understand decimals to the thousandths…
LET’S BREAK IT DOWN!
Place Value in Decimals
When you work with whole numbers, 1 ten is equal to 10 ones. And 1 hundred is equal to 10 tens. In decimals it is similar. Hundredths are ten times smaller than tenths. Thousandths are ten times smaller than hundredths. Thousandths represent the number of parts out of a thousand. Just like 10 hundredths can be regrouped as one-tenth. 10 thousandths can be regrouped as 1 hundredth. Now you try: How many hundredths are the same as 20 thousandths?
Weighing Diamonds to Thousandths of a Gram
Some scales measure weight very precisely. If you weigh a diamond and the scale reads 8.768, this means there are 8 wholes, 7 tenths, 6 hundredths, and 8 thousandths. We read the number as “eight and seven hundred sixty-eight thousandths. Now you try: How would you say 4.216 in words?
Comparing the Weight of Diamonds
You weighed two diamonds. One weights 8.768 g. The other weighs 8.764 g. Which weighs more? Compare the digits in the greatest place value. If those numbers are the same, we look at the next place value to the right. Comparing 8.768 and 8.764, the ones, tenths, and hundredths digits are all the same. So, compare the thousandths place. 8 is greater than 4. Therefore, 8.768 is greater than 8.764. Now you try: How would you say 4.216 in words?
Compare Reaction Times
April’s reaction time is 1.230 seconds. Adesina’s time was 1.2. Who’s reaction time is faster? Compare the digits in the greatest place, which is the ones place, and both numbers have 1. Next, we compare the tenths place, and both numbers have 2. 1.2 has no number in the hundredths and thousandths places. How can you compare them? Since those places have no value, you can just put zeros there. Then, 1.2 is the same as 1.200. Now we can compare. Since 3 in the hundredths place is greater than 0 in the hundredths place, 1.230 is greater than 1.2. Adesina's reaction time is faster than April's. Now you try. Which is greater, 9.89 or 9.899?
Rounding
A block of gold weighs 12.509 kilograms. Round that number to the nearest hundredth. To round to the nearest hundredth, look at the digit to the right, the thousandths place. If it is 5 or greater, round up. If it is less than 5, round down. Since 12.509 has 9 in the thousandths place, round up. This means that the 0 in the tenths place goes up to 1, and the rounded number becomes 12.51. Now you try. Round 22.174 to the nearest thousandth.