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Place Value

Divide by 10 using place value

Show digits becoming ten times smaller through place-value movement.

Quick answer

When you divide by 10, each digit in a number moves one place to the right, making the number ten times smaller.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will understand how to divide any number by 10 using place value, and you will know that each digit becomes ten times smaller when it moves one place to the right. Success signs:
  • You can explain what happens to the digits when you divide by 10
  • You can move digits one place to the right to show division by 10
  • You can solve problems like 450 ÷ 10 = 45
  • You can use place value to check your answers

Why this matters

Dividing by 10 using place value is important because it helps you understand how numbers work and how they change. You'll use this skill when you're shopping, cooking, measuring, or even playing games. It's also a building block for learning about decimals and fractions later on. When you know how to divide by 10, you can quickly work out problems like how many metres are in 500 centimetres or how many hours are in 300 minutes.

How it works

To divide a number by 10 using place value, you move each digit one place to the right. Think of it like a dance where every digit takes a step to the right. When a digit moves one place to the right, it becomes ten times smaller. If you're dividing by 10, you're making the number ten times smaller, so each digit moves one place to the right. Let's look at how this works step by step:
  1. Start with a number, like 340
  2. Look at each digit and its place value (hundreds, tens, ones)
  3. Move each digit one place to the right
  4. Put a decimal point in the right place if needed
  5. Check that your answer makes sense

Examples you can see

Let's start with a simple example: 340 ÷ 10
Original Number Place Value After Dividing by 10 Place Value
340 3 hundreds, 4 tens, 0 ones 34 3 tens, 4 ones
Here's how it works:
  • 3 hundreds becomes 3 tens (30)
  • 4 tens becomes 4 ones (4)
  • 0 ones becomes 0 tenths (0)
Another example: 7200 ÷ 10
Original Number Place Value After Dividing by 10 Place Value
7200 7 thousands, 2 hundreds, 0 tens, 0 ones 720 7 hundreds, 2 tens, 0 ones
Let's think about a real-world example. Imagine you have 500 stickers to share equally among 10 friends. Each friend gets 50 stickers. That's the same as 500 ÷ 10 = 50. The 5 in the hundreds place moves to the tens place, and the 0 in the tens place moves to the ones place.

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: The Magic Number Machine You are a detective who has discovered a magic machine that can divide numbers by 10. The machine has a big display showing numbers, and you need to make it work correctly. Step 1: You see the number 260 on the machine. What happens when you press the "divide by 10" button? Step 2: The machine shows 26. You notice that the 2 (which was in the hundreds place) moved to the tens place, and the 6 (which was in the tens place) moved to the ones place. Step 3: Now you try 3800. What do you expect to see? Step 4: You see 380. The 3 moved from thousands to hundreds, and the 8 moved from hundreds to tens. Step 5: You try 50. What happens? Step 6: The machine shows 5. The 5 moved from tens to ones. Step 7: Try 9000. What do you expect to see? Step 8: The machine shows 900. The 9 moved from thousands to hundreds. Step 9: Try 40000. What do you think happens? Step 10: The machine shows 4000. The 4 moved from ten thousands to thousands.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Thinking that dividing by 10 means removing a zero from the end of a number.
    Why it happens: This only works for whole numbers ending in zero, but not for numbers like 45 ÷ 10.
    Fix: Always move digits one place to the right using place value, not just remove zeros.
  • Mistake: Forgetting to put a decimal point in the right place.
    Why it happens: Children often think the number should stay whole.
    Fix: Remember that when you divide by 10, you're making the number smaller, so it should be written with a decimal point.
  • Mistake: Moving digits in the wrong direction.
    Why it happens: Children may confuse dividing by 10 with multiplying by 10.
    Fix: Remember: dividing by 10 moves digits to the right, multiplying by 10 moves them to the left.

Parent and carer guide

To help your child understand dividing by 10 using place value:
  1. Start with simple examples using 2-digit numbers like 30, 40, 50
  2. Use physical objects like counters or blocks to show place value
  3. Practice moving digits on a place value chart
  4. Ask your child to explain what happens to each digit
  5. Make it fun with games or real-life examples like sharing stickers or dividing up snacks
  6. Remember that it's okay if your child makes mistakes - they're learning!
  7. Reinforce that moving digits to the right makes numbers smaller
  8. Encourage your child to check their answers using multiplication

Practice questions

  1. What is 60 ÷ 10?
  2. What is 800 ÷ 10?
  3. What is 1200 ÷ 10?
  4. What is 2500 ÷ 10?
  5. What is 9000 ÷ 10?
  6. What is 340 ÷ 10?
  7. What is 7800 ÷ 10?
  8. What is 560 ÷ 10?
  9. What is 1000 ÷ 10?
  10. What is 4300 ÷ 10?
Answers:
  1. 6
  2. 80
  3. 120
  4. 250
  5. 900
  6. 34
  7. 780
  8. 56
  9. 100
  10. 430

FAQ

What happens to the digits when you divide by 10?

When you divide by 10, each digit moves one place to the right, making the number ten times smaller.

Can you divide any number by 10 using place value?

Yes, you can divide any whole number or decimal by 10 using place value.

Why does dividing by 10 make numbers smaller?

Dividing by 10 splits each digit into ten equal parts, making the whole number ten times smaller.

How can I check if my answer is correct?

You can check by multiplying your answer by 10 to see if you get back to the original number.

What if there are no digits in the ones place?

If there's no digit in the ones place, you still move all other digits one place to the right, and you may need to add a decimal point.