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What is the Difference between Place Value and Face Value?

Nikita Parmar

Updated on 26th April, 2024 , 8 min read

Place Value and Face Value Introduction

In the realm of mathematics, particularly in the study of numbers and their properties, two fundamental concepts play significant roles: place value and face value. While these terms may seem similar at first glance, they hold distinct meanings and serve different purposes in numerical representation. In this comprehensive exploration, we will delve into the definitions, significance, and applications of place value and face value, elucidating their differences and illustrating their importance in mathematical operations and problem-solving.  The primary distinction between place value and face value is that the place value deals with the digit's location, whereas the face value indicates the real value of a digit. The number system is provided and is required for classifying digits into groupings of tens, hundreds, and thousands.  

Place Value and Face Value Definitions

With the use of an enlarged form of a number, the notion of face value and place value of a digit may be better understood. 

For Example: 842 = 800 + 40 + 2

                                = 8 × 100 + 4 × 10 + 2 × 1

The following table shows the enlargement of place and face value- 

Digits

Place Value 

Face Value 

8

800

8

4

40

4

2

2

2

The above table provides the solution to the question: What is the face value and place value of a digit in a number?

Face Value

Any number's face value can be expressed as the value of the digit itself. Place value refers to the value of each digit in a number. We calculate a number's place value by multiplying its digit value by its numerical value. Face value, on the other hand, refers to the inherent numerical value of a digit itself, irrespective of its position within a number. Unlike place value, which depends on the position of a digit within a numeral, face value represents the actual numerical quantity represented by the digit itself. In essence, the face value of a digit is the value it carries on its own, independent of its placement within a number.  

For example, in the number 3,457.29:

  • The face value of the digit 3 is 3.
  • The face value of the digit 4 is 4.
  • The face value of the digit 5 is 5.
  • The face value of the digit 7 is 7.
  • The face value of the digit 2 is 2.
  • The face value of the digit 9 is 9.

In this context, face value simply denotes the numerical quantity represented by each digit, without consideration for its position within the numeral.

For Example: Find the face value of each digit in the number 4856.

Solution: Every digit's face value is the number itself.

The face value of '4' is four.

The face value of '8' is eight.

The face value of the number '5' is five.

The face value of the number '6' is six.

Place Value

Place value is a foundational concept in mathematics that forms the basis for understanding numerical operations, place notation, and arithmetic algorithms. It enables efficient numerical representation and manipulation by organizing digits into meaningful positions that reflect their relative magnitudes. By assigning specific values to digits based on their positions within a number, place value facilitates addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and other mathematical operations with ease and precision. Furthermore, place value plays a crucial role in extending the decimal number system to represent numbers of varying magnitudes, both large and small. Through the use of place notation and exponential notation, place value allows for the concise expression of numbers spanning multiple orders of magnitude, making it indispensable in scientific notation, engineering, finance, and other fields where large or small quantities are encountered.  

For example, in the number 3,457.29: 

  • The digit 3 is in the thousands place, representing 3×1000=3000.
  • The digit 4 is in the hundreds place, representing 4×100=400.4
  • The digit 5 is in the tens place, representing 5×10=50.
  • The digit 7 is in the ones (units) place, representing 7×1=7.
  • The digit 2 is in the tenth place, representing 2×110=0.2.
  • The digit 9 is in the hundredth place, representing 9×1100=0.09

In essence, place value assigns a numerical value to each digit in a number based on its position, facilitating accurate numerical representation and computation.

The position of a digit in a number is represented by its place value. Determine the place value of each digit in the integer 4856. To determine the place value of the numbers in the number 4856, multiply each number by the digit value. 

  1. Since 4 is in the thousands place, the place value of 4 can be computed by multiplying 4 (numerical value) by 1000 (digit value), resulting in 4 x 1000 = 4000. Similarly, we can determine the place values for the remaining digits in the number. 
  2. Because 8 is in the hundreds place, the place value of 8 may be computed by multiplying 8 by 100, resulting in 8 x 100 = 800.
  3. Because 5 is in the tens place, the place value of 5 may be computed by multiplying 5 by 10.
  4. 6's place value may be computed by multiplying 6 by 1, that is, 6 x 1 = 6 because 6 is in the first place.

Expanded Form of Place Value and Face Value

The distinction between place value and face value is made using the extended form of a number. 5689 in its enlarged form equals 5000 + 600 + 80 + 9. In the extended form, we express a number as the sum of the place values of each digit. The place value of 5 in the number 5689 is 5000 (since 5 is in the thousands place), the place value of 600 (since 6 is in the hundreds place), the place value of 8 is 80, and the place value of 9 is 9. (since 9 is in ones place). However, the face value of 5 in the same number 5689 is 5, the face value of 6 is 6, the face value of 8 is 8, and the face value of 9 is 9.

Properties of Place Value

The following are the properties of place value-

  1. Every one-digit number's place value is the same as and equal to its face value.
  2. The place value of the tenth digit in a two-digit number is ten times the digit.
  3. The digit 5 is at one, the digit 7 is at ten, and the digit 4 is at hundred in the number 475.
  4. The basic rule is that the digit has its place value as the product of the digit and the place value of one to be in that location.

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What is the difference between Place Value and Face Value?

The number system in place means values range from 0 to tens, hundreds, thousands, and so on. The following table gives more information about the key distinctions between place value and face value-

Place Value 

Face Value 

The place value describes the position or place of a digit in a given number. 

The digit itself within a number is simply defined as having a face value.

For Example- The place value of 5 in the number 452 is (5 10) = 50 because 5 is in the tens place. 

For Example- The face value of 6 in the number  360 is 6.

Place Value = Face Value x numerical value of place.

Face value of digit = numerical value of the digit itself.

The place value of 0 is 0.

The place value of 0 is 0.

To get a number's place value, multiply its digit value by its numerical value.

The face value of a digit is always the same, regardless of where it is positioned.

The value indicated by a digit in a number based on its position in the number is known as place value.

The face value of a digit in a number is its real value and is independent.

 

Applications & Examples 

Understanding the distinctions between place value and face value is essential for various mathematical applications and problem-solving scenarios. Some examples of their applications include:

  • Arithmetic Operations: In addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, place value ensures that digits are correctly aligned and combined based on their positional values, while face value provides the numerical quantities of individual digits for calculation.
  • Decimal Notation: In decimal notation, place value determines the significance of each digit's position relative to the decimal point, enabling the representation of numbers with fractional parts. Face value, meanwhile, provides the inherent numerical quantities of the digits themselves, contributing to the readability and interpretation of the numeral.
  • Currency and Financial Transactions: In financial transactions, such as currency exchange and securities trading, face value denotes the nominal value of currency notes, coins, bonds, or other financial instruments, while place value facilitates the accurate representation and computation of monetary amounts.

Chart of Place Value and Face Value

When reading numbers, it is usually easier to use words than individual digits. For example, instead of reading 527 as 5, 2, 7, it is simple to read 527 as five hundred and twenty-seven. There are two frequently used numeration methods, which are as follows-

The Indian System of Numeration

The Vedic numbering system is the foundation of the Indian numeration system. For this one must divide the provided integers into groups or periods. Students must begin with the extreme right digit of the supplied number and work their way to the left. 

  1. The first three numbers are on the far right. The digits in one column are divided into hundreds, tens, and units. 
  2. The group of thousands is formed by the second group of the following two digits to the left of the group of ones, which is further divided into thousands and ten thousand. 
  3. The third group of two numbers to the left of the group of thousands forms the group of lakhs, which is split into lakhs and ten lakhs. The two digits on the left side of the lakhs then add up to a crore split into crores and ten crores.

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The International System of Numeration

The International System of Numbers is used by the majority of the world's countries. The total is split into groups or periods in this approach. To form the groups, one must begin with the number's extreme right digit. The various groups are referred to as the ones, thousands, millions, and billions. The digits in one column are divided into hundreds, tens, and units. The following three numbers on the left side of the group of ones form the group of thousands, that is further subdivided into thousands, ten thousand, and a hundred thousand. The group of millions is formed by the third group of the following three numbers on the left side of the group of thousands. Three numbers on the left side of the million groups create the billion group, which is split into billions, ten billion, and hundred billion. 

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Things to Keep in Mind

  1. The place value and face value of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively.
  2. The face and place value of 0 is always zero.
  3. Any digit's face value always remains constant.
  4. A digit's place value is calculated by multiplying it by 10n, where n is the digit's position in the number from the right side.
  5. The extended form assists in determining the place value of each digit in the provided integer.

Solved Examples of Place Value and Face Value

Example 1: Find the Place and Face values for each digit in the number 4657.

The following table shows the place value and face value of the digits-

Digits

Place Value 

Face Value 

6

6000

6

2

200

2

3

30

3

4

4

4

As a result, these are some of the fundamental distinctions between face value and place value. It is critical to understand the differences between the two because they are both utilized in mathematical expressions to solve and compute. 

Conclusion 

A number's place value is defined as the position or location of a digit inside the number. Any number's face value can be expressed as the value of the digit itself. Various systems, such as the Indian system of numeration and the International system of numeration, can be used to compute the place and face value. The numbers are split into groups or periods in the International method of enumeration. Every digit of a number has a face and a place value in the Indian system of numeration. The digit's place value is determined by its location. The location of the digit has no bearing on the face of the digit. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the face value? Give an example.

Ans. The face value of a digit in a number determines the number’s value. It makes no difference what position the digit is in. For example, the face value of 9 in 911 is simply 9.

What is the face value of 2 in the number 93207?

Ans. 2 in 93207 has a face value of 2.

What is the place value? Give an example.

Ans. A digit’s place value in a number determines where it is put or positioned. It may be in the first place, the tenth place, the hundredth position, and so on. For example, the place value of 5 in 252 is 5 x 10 = 50, which is the tenth place.

What is the place value of 6 in 6391?

Ans. The place value of 6 in 6391 is 6000.

Why is knowing place value important?

Ans. Many mathematical ideas make use of place value. It lays the groundwork for regrouping, multiplication, and other operations.

What tools are utilized to teach place value?

Ans. To enhance place value comprehension, manipulatives such as base-10 blocks, snap cubes, unfix cubes, beans, and so on are employed.

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