Write Numbers in Expanded Form

Write a number in expanded form

Expanded form shows how much each digit is worth by place value. A digit’s value depends on whether it is in the thousands, hundreds, tens, ones, and so on.

Steps

1. Read the number from left to right. Identify each digit’s place.
2. Find the value of each nonzero digit.
   • Example: in 4,372, the 4 means 4,000, the 3 means 300, the 7 means 70, and the 2 means 2.
3. Write the number as a sum.
   • 4,372 = 4,000 + 300 + 70 + 2
4. Leave out any zero-value places. If a digit is 0, do not include that place in the sum.

Check your work

Add the parts back together. If the total matches the original number, your expanded form is correct.

Tip

It can help to say the place values aloud: thousands, hundreds, tens, ones. Then match each digit to its value before writing the sum.