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YEAR 5 · PLACE VALUE AND ESTIMATION · 14 MIN

Partitioning whole numbers

Split a whole number into useful parts without changing its total.

In this lesson

Before you start
  • Place value
  • Addition facts
01 / LEARN

Understand the idea.

Standard expanded form

To partition a number, split it into amounts that add back to the original. Standard expanded form gives each non-zero digit its own place-value amount. In 58.126, the 5 contributes 50.000, not just 5.

Write the parts from greatest to smallest, then add them to check. A zero placeholder contributes nothing, so a separate +0 term is optional. Leaving out a non-zero place changes the total.

Flexible partitions

A flexible partition groups the same amount in a different way. For example, 4.206=4.000+206 and 4.206=4.100+100+6. Choose parts that help with the calculation you are doing.

Regrouping exchanges equal amounts: one hundred is ten tens, and one thousand is ten hundreds. If you take one hundred out of the hundreds part, put ten tens into the tens part. The whole must stay unchanged.

02 / WORKED EXAMPLES

See the method in action.

EXAMPLE 01

Expand by place

Write 58,126 in standard expanded form.

Worked solution

  1. 1

    Read the two largest place values.

    5×10.000=50.000,8×1.000=8.000

    The first two digits count ten-thousands and thousands.

  2. 2

    Read the remaining digit values.

    1×100=100,2×10=20,6×1=6

    Each remaining non-zero digit contributes its own place-value part.

  3. 3

    Add the place-value parts.

    58.126=50.000+8.000+100+20+6

    Expanded form must rebuild the original number exactly.

Answer

50,000 + 8,000 + 100 + 20 + 6

EXAMPLE 02

Regroup a hundred

Show 4,206 using 41 hundreds, some tens and 6 ones.

Worked solution

  1. 1

    Find the value already used by the hundreds and ones.

    41×100+6=4.106

    The question fixes 41 hundreds and 6 ones.

  2. 2

    Find the amount still to be represented.

    4.206−4.106=100

    All the remaining value must be written as tens.

  3. 3

    Exchange the remaining hundred for tens.

    100÷10=10

    Ten tens have the same value as one hundred.

  4. 4

    Check the full partition.

    41×100+10×10+6=4.206

    41 hundreds, 10 tens and 6 ones preserve the total.

Answer

41 hundreds + 10 tens + 6 ones

03 / YOUR TURN

Try it yourself.

Check your understanding

Complete: 6,300 = 6 thousands + ___ hundreds.

Show answer & reasoning

3

After 6.000 is accounted for, 6.300−6.000=300 remains. Since 300÷100=3, the missing number is 3.

Keep practising

6 worksheet questions · 8 marks

Read the questions online
  1. Write 46,825 in standard expanded form.
    1 mark
  2. What number is 6 thousands+12 hundreds+3 tens+4 ones?
    1 mark
  3. Write 5,307 using hundreds, tens and ones.
    1 mark
  4. Complete: 7,615=75 hundreds+___ tens+5 ones.
    1 mark
  5. Sam writes 4,008=400+8. Explain and correct the error.
    2 marks
  6. Give two different partitions of 9,020.
    2 marks
Read the worked solutions

Equivalent correct methods earn the corresponding marks. Include units where asked.

  1. Write 46,825 in standard expanded form.
    1 mark

    Each part is the value of one non-zero digit.

    40,000+6,000+800+20+5
  2. What number is 6 thousands+12 hundreds+3 tens+4 ones?
    1 mark

    6,000+1,200+30+4=7,234.

    7,234
  3. Write 5,307 using hundreds, tens and ones.
    1 mark

    5,300 is 53 hundreds; the remaining part is 7.

    53 hundreds+0 tens+7 ones
  4. Complete: 7,615=75 hundreds+___ tens+5 ones.
    1 mark

    7,615−7,500−5=110, which is 11 tens.

    11
  5. Sam writes 4,008=400+8. Explain and correct the error.
    2 marks

    400+8 is 408, not 4,008.

    The 4 means 4,000, so 4,008=4,000+8.
  6. Give two different partitions of 9,020.
    2 marks

    Both sums equal 9,020. Other equivalent partitions are valid.

    For example, 9,000+20 and 8,000+1,020.
Checking saved progress…
Curriculum reference & lesson scope

Australian Curriculum v9; SA Curriculum Mathematics 2026

Whole-number revision; partitioning; rounding/estimating quantities; checking reasonable answers.

Official curriculum source ↗

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