Comparing Decimals to Hundredths
Learn how to tell which decimal number is bigger, smaller, or equal when numbers go to the hundredths place.
Reading is good — doing is better. Practice Comparing Decimals to Hundredths as an interactive lesson.
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Comparing decimals means looking at two decimal numbers and deciding which one is greater than, less than, or equal to the other. Decimals to the hundredths place have two digits after the decimal point, like 0.45 or 1.73. We compare them place by place, starting from the left, just like comparing whole numbers.
Remember the rule
Compare left to right: First compare whole numbers, then tenths, then hundredths. Stop as soon as one digit is bigger — that number wins! If all digits match, the numbers are equal.
Key words
- Decimal
- A number that uses a dot (called a decimal point) to show values smaller than one, like 0.5 or 3.27.
- Decimal point
- The dot in a decimal number that separates the whole number part from the parts smaller than one.
- Tenths place
- The first digit to the right of the decimal point. In 0.47, the 4 is in the tenths place.
- Hundredths place
- The second digit to the right of the decimal point. In 0.47, the 7 is in the hundredths place.
- Greater than (>)
- A symbol meaning one number is bigger than another. 0.6 > 0.3 means 0.6 is greater than 0.3.
- Less than (<)
- A symbol meaning one number is smaller than another. 0.2 < 0.9 means 0.2 is less than 0.9.
- Equal to (=)
- A symbol meaning two numbers are exactly the same value. 0.50 = 0.5 because they are worth the same amount.
- Place value
- The value of where a digit sits in a number. In 0.36, the 3 means 3 tenths and the 6 means 6 hundredths.
Worked examples
Compare 0.45 and 0.52. Which is greater?
→ 0.45 < 0.52 · Both whole numbers are 0, so look at the tenths: 4 vs. 5. Since 4 < 5, we know 0.45 is less than 0.52 without even checking the hundredths.
Compare 0.63 and 0.67. Which is greater?
→ 0.63 < 0.67 · The whole numbers match (0) and the tenths match (6), so check the hundredths: 3 vs. 7. Since 3 < 7, we get 0.63 < 0.67.
Compare 1.25 and 0.99. Which is greater?
→ 1.25 > 0.99 · Always check the whole number first. 1 is greater than 0, so 1.25 wins right away — no need to look further.
Compare 0.70 and 0.7. Are they equal?
→ 0.70 = 0.7 · Adding a zero at the end of a decimal does not change its value. 0.70 means 70 hundredths and 0.7 means 7 tenths, which are the same amount.
Compare 2.08 and 2.80. Which is greater?
→ 2.08 < 2.80 · The whole numbers both equal 2, so look at the tenths: 0 vs. 8. Since 0 < 8, we know 2.08 is less than 2.80. The 8 in the hundredths place of 2.08 does not help it catch up.
Put these decimals in order from least to greatest: 0.34, 0.43, 0.40
→ 0.34, 0.40, 0.43 · All have 0 in the whole number. Compare tenths first: 0.34 has 3 tenths, while 0.43 and 0.40 both have 4 tenths. Then compare hundredths of those two: 0 < 3, so 0.40 comes before 0.43.
Common mistakes
- Thinking more digits means a bigger number — 0.9 is actually greater than 0.35 even though 0.35 has more digits.
- Ignoring the whole number and jumping straight to the decimal part — always compare the whole number side first.
- Confusing the tenths and hundredths places — remember: the first digit after the dot is tenths, the second is hundredths.
- Thinking 0.70 and 0.07 are equal because they have the same digits — they are very different! 0.70 is seventy hundredths and 0.07 is only seven hundredths.
- Forgetting that a trailing zero does not change a decimal's value — 0.5 and 0.50 are equal, but students sometimes think 0.50 is bigger.
FAQs
Do I always need to look at every digit to compare two decimals?
No! Stop as soon as you find a place where the digits are different. The number with the bigger digit in that place is the greater number. You only go to the next place if the digits are the same.
What if two decimals look different but are actually equal, like 0.4 and 0.40?
They are equal! Adding zeros to the right end of a decimal after the last non-zero digit does not change its value. Both 0.4 and 0.40 mean 40 hundredths.
Can I use a number line to compare decimals?
Yes! Plot both decimals on a number line. The one farther to the right is always greater. This is a great way to see which is bigger when the numbers feel confusing.
How is comparing decimals the same as comparing whole numbers?
You use the same left-to-right, place-by-place strategy. Just line up the decimal points first so the places match up correctly, then compare digit by digit from left to right.
What do the symbols >, <, and = mean and how do I remember them?
Think of the symbol as a hungry alligator mouth — it always opens toward the bigger number. So 0.7 > 0.3 means the mouth opens toward 0.7 because it is bigger. The = sign means both sides are the same.
Why does the tenths place matter more than the hundredths place?
Because tenths are larger pieces. One tenth (0.1) equals ten hundredths (0.10), so a difference in the tenths place is always bigger than any difference in the hundredths place.
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