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Ordering Decimals

Ordering decimals can be tricky. This is because often we look at 0.42 and 0.402 and say that 0.402 must be bigger because there are more numbers.

If you follow the following method you will see which decimals are bigger.  

  • Set up a table with the decimal place in the same place for each number.
  • Put in each number.
  • Fill in the empty squares with zeros.
  • Compare using the first column, and pick out the highest in order.
  • If the numbers are equal move to the next column until one number wins.


Example

Order the following decimals:

0.402, 0.42, 0.375, 1.2, 0.85

In a table they will look like this:

Units

Decimal Point

Tenths

Hundredths

Thousandths

0

·

4

0

2

0

·

4

2

0

0

·

3

7

5

1

·

2

0

0

0

·

8

5

0

 

Compare the Units.

arr

There is a 1, all the rest are 0, so 1.2 must be the highest. (Write it down in your answer and cross it off the table).

Compare the Tenths.

arr

The 8 is highest, so 0.85 is next in value.

There are two numbers with the same "Tenths" value of 4, so move down to the "Hundredths" for the tie breaker

arr

One number has a 2 in the hundredths, and the other has a 0, so the 2 wins. So 0.42 is bigger than 0.4020.

Go back to comparing the Tenths

arr

0.375 must be next followed by 0.2


The decimals must be in the order, highest to lowest:

1.2, 0.85, 0.42, 0.402, 0.375


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