The Decimal Structure

The decimal structure divides each digit into its group as follows:
ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands

Each digit represents a group according to its position. For example, in the number
$34,608$
$8$ is in the ones place
$0$ is in the tens place
$6$ is in the hundreds place
$4$ is in the thousands place
and $3$ is in the ten thousands place.

In other words, we can say that in the number $34,608$ there are:
$8$ ones, $0$ tens, $6$ hundreds, 4 thousands, and $3$ ten thousands.
If we're asked what the value of each digit is, we'll need to multiply the digit by its corresponding place value. That is:
The value of the digit $8$ is $8×1=8$
We multiplied by $1$ because $8$ is in the ones place and $1$ represents ones.
The value of the digit $0$ is $0×10=0$
We multiplied by $10$ because $0$ is in the tens place and $10$ represents tens.
The value of the digit $6$ is $6×100=600$
We multiplied by $100$ because $6$ is in the hundreds place and $100$ represents hundreds.
The value of the digit $4$ is $4×1000=4000$
We multiplied by $1000$ because $4$ is in the thousands place - $1000$ represents thousands.
The value of the digit $3$ is $3×10000=30000$
We multiplied by $10000$ because $3$ is in the ten thousands place and represents ten thousands.

Interesting fact!
If we multiply each digit by its place value and add all the products, we obtain the number itself!
Let's observe –
$8×1+0×10+6×100+4×1000+3×10000=$
$8+600+4000+30000=34,608$

Fascinating Question -
We established that the digit $0$ is in the tens place and its value is $0$ because $10×0=0$
Can we remove it from the number?
The answer is absolutely not!
If we remove the digit $0$ from the number, we'll obtain the number $3,468$ which is a completely different number from our original number.
So why is the $0$ there at all?
The $0$ is holding the place for tens in the original number.
For example, if this number represents a collection of marbles and we want to add another $20$ marbles, the digit $0$ is what kept the place for these $20$ marbles, and after we add them to the collection, we'll obtain the number: $34,628$.

And now let's practice!
Before you is the number $12495$

Questions:

1. How many hundreds are in the number?
2. What is the thousands digit in the number?
3. What is the value of the digit $1$?
4. What does the digit $9$ represent?
5. What is the value of the digit $9$?

Answers:

1. The number has $4$ hundreds because the digit $4$ represents hundreds according to its position.
2. The thousands digit in the number is $2$.
3. The value of the digit $1$ is $10,000$
   $1$ is in the ten thousands position and to know the value of the digit, we need to multiply it by $10,000$: $1×10000=10000$
4. The digit $9$ represents tens because it is in the tens position.
5. The value of the digit $9$ is $90$.
   We multiply $9×10=90$ because $9$ represents the tens digit and also $10$.

Another exercise:
Before you is the number $56891$
Questions:

1. How many ones are in the number?
2. What is the value of the digit $5$?
3. How many hundreds are in the number?
4. What does the digit $9$ represent?
5. How many thousands are in the number?
6. What does the digit $5$ represent?
7. What is the value of the digit $8$?

Answers:

1. The number has a ones digit $1$. $1$ is in the ones place.
2. The digit $5$ represents ten thousands according to its position, so we need to multiply $5×10000=50000$ and the value of the digit $5$ is $50000$.
3. The number has $8$ hundreds since it is in the hundreds place.
4. The digit $9$ represents the tens according to its position.
5. The number has $6$ thousands because the digit $6$ is in the thousands place.
6. The digit $5$ represents ten thousands.
7. The digit $8$ represents hundreds, so we need to multiply $8$ by $100$ to understand its value.
   Let's multiply $8×100=800$
   therefore the value of the digit $8$ is $800$.