--- title: "The three digits of a three-digit number" description: "Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones" canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/the-three-digits-of-a-three-digit-number-mt_aPBzD28_mT source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/the-three-digits-of-a-three-digit-number-mt_aPBzD28_mT.md retrieved: 2026-10-19 --- > **Agent view.** This is the Markdown twin of the page, for tools and assistants. > When to use this site, and the call that answers each job: https://lightmysky.com/agent-instructions.md > API description (OpenAPI 3.1): https://lightmysky.com/openapi.json · Authentication: https://lightmysky.com/auth.md > Pricing: https://lightmysky.com/pricing.md · Catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms.txt · Full catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms-full.txt > Every machine-readable file on this domain: https://lightmysky.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json > Ask for Markdown with `Accept: text/markdown`, a `.md` address, or `?mode=agent`. # The three digits of a three-digit number Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones Subject: Mathematics · Area: Number Representation & Place Value · Ages 7 to 8 Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/the-three-digits-of-a-three-digit-number-mt_aPBzD28_mT ## Ready when they can - State the value of each digit in a three-digit number (e.g. in 362, the 3 represents 3 hundreds) - Partition a three-digit number into hundreds, tens, and ones (e.g. 485 = 400 + 80 + 5) - Explain why 706 has 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones ## Lesson: Three digits, three jobs You already know that ten tens bundle into one hundred. Bigger numbers like 362 are built from hundreds, tens, and ones, and each digit has a job. The first digit tells you the hundreds. The middle digit tells you the tens. The last digit tells you the ones. *(drawing: Look at 362. The first digit is 3, and it sits in the hundreds spot. That means 3 hundreds, not just the digit 3.)* **Example.** Look at 485. The 4 is in the hundreds spot, so it means 4 hundreds. The 8 is in the tens spot, so it means 8 tens. The 5 is in the ones spot, so it means 5 ones. Put them together: 400 + 80 + 5 = 485. Do not just read the digits like separate words. Read a three-digit number by its spots: hundreds first, then tens, then ones. In 706, the 0 is in the tens spot, so there are 0 tens, but the 6 is still 6 ones. **Recap.** Every three-digit number has three jobs: first digit is hundreds, middle is tens, last is ones. ## Practice 18 questions on this page, each with its working shown. ## Needs first - [A Hundred Is Ten Tens](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/a-hundred-is-ten-tens-mt_8gy7uxRlF6) - [The two digits of a two-digit number](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/the-two-digits-of-a-two-digit-number-mt_THl9GLxwoL) ## Opens up - [Place Value to 1000](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/place-value-to-1000-mt_98c2qwEF7Q) - [Representing Numbers](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/representing-numbers-mt_9L3NQqgqRd) - [Mentally adding tens to 3-digit numbers](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/mentally-adding-tens-to-3-digit-numbers-mt_aHQ9kNt3is) - [Ordering Numbers to 1000](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/ordering-numbers-to-1000-mt_AQcVRBddko) - [Written Multiplication & Division](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/written-multiplication-and-division-mt_DyGBW3ZHh3) - [Addition and subtraction within 1000](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/addition-and-subtraction-within-1000-mt_ewmuMMPAzP) - [Using structure in numbers and shapes](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/using-structure-in-numbers-and-shapes-mt_FAXjFkgG6X) - [Multiplying by Tens](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/multiplying-by-tens-mt_isojCL9yy-) - [10 or 100 More or Less](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/10-or-100-more-or-less-mt_izien3ZX51) - [Place value of each digit](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/place-value-of-each-digit-mt_jY7uf0Cb7o) - [Mentally adding and subtracting ones with 3-digit numbers](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/mentally-adding-and-subtracting-ones-with-3-digit-numbers-mt_oDU_8zMZjp) - [Reading and writing numbers to 1000](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/reading-and-writing-numbers-to-1000-mt_VFsuftfvYM) - [Mentally adding hundreds to 3-digit numbers](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/mentally-adding-hundreds-to-3-digit-numbers-mt_xPqczp7zPX) - [Addition and subtraction strategies (age 7+)](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/addition-and-subtraction-strategies-age-7-mt_zxST3MarI9)