Units and tenths
10 tenths make 1 unit.
A pencil
A pencil is 3 units and 4 tenths long.
How many tenths long is the whole pencil, counting its units as well?
What this lesson covers
The idea
10 one-tenths make one unit, so a quantity can be written as units and tenths or wholly as tenths, and any number of tenths can be regrouped into units and tenths.
A pencil
A pencil is 3 units and 4 tenths long.
How many tenths long is the whole pencil, counting its units as well?
- 7 tenths
- 34 tenths
- 304 tenths
Pack and unpack tenths
10 tenths make 1 unit. Tap the buttons to turn units into tenths, or tenths into units.
Same length, two ways
3 units and 4 tenths and 34 tenths are the same length. We can always change between the two.
10 one-tenths make 1 unit. So a quantity can be written as units and tenths, like 3 4/10, or wholly as tenths, like 34/10. Any number of tenths can be regrouped into units and tenths: 34 tenths = 30 tenths + 4 tenths = 3 units and 4 tenths.
- Written | Read as
- 4 1/10 | four and one-tenth
- 4/10 | four-tenths
- 41/10 | forty-one tenths
- 41 1/10 | forty-one and one-tenth
Notes
10 one-tenths make 1 unit. A quantity can be written as units and tenths or wholly as tenths, and any number of tenths can be regrouped into units and tenths.
Check yourself
5 units and 2 tenths is how many tenths in all?
Answer: 52 tenths
5 units = 50 tenths, and 2 tenths more: 52 tenths.
Which is the same as 63 tenths?
47 tenths contain how many whole units?
Answer: 4
47 tenths = 40 tenths + 7 tenths = 4 units and 7 tenths.
- 6 units and 3 tenths — correct. Yes! 60 tenths make 6 units, and 3 tenths are left.
- 63 units. Tenths are smaller than units. 63 tenths is just over 6 units.
- 3 units and 6 tenths. That is only 36 tenths. Each unit is 10 tenths.