Write Decimals in Expanded Form

Write a decimal in expanded form

Expanded form shows the value of each digit separately. For decimals, each digit depends on its place value: ones, tenths, hundredths, thousandths, and so on.

1) Identify each digit’s place

Read the number from left to right and name each position. For example, in a decimal like 3.47:

• 3 is in the ones place
• 4 is in the tenths place
• 7 is in the hundredths place

2) Rewrite the number as a sum

Write each nonzero digit as a product of the digit and its place value:

• ones → digit × 1
• tenths → digit × 0.1
• hundredths → digit × 0.01
• thousandths → digit × 0.001

So 3.47 becomes:

• 3 + 0.4 + 0.07

3) Simplify exact answers

If a digit is 0, you usually skip that term. Keep the decimal values exact; do not round.

Check your work

Add the parts back together. If the sum matches the original decimal, your expanded form is correct.

Helpful reminder

Place value matters more than the digit itself. A 5 in the tenths place means 0.5, not 5.