Comparing to 100 — examples

Let's solve six problems together. Easy ones first, then a few where you need to look twice.

Example 1: 28 and 53

Step 1 — tens. 28 has 2 tens, 53 has 5 tens. 5 is more. Answer: 28 < 53.

Example 2: 90 and 19

Step 1 — tens. 90 has 9, 19 has 1. 9 is much more. Answer: 90 > 19.

Tip: sometimes one glance is enough. When the tens are very different, you don't even check the ones.

Example 3: 41 and 47

Step 1 — tens. Both numbers have 4 tens. The same. Step 2 — ones. 41 has 1, 47 has 7. 7 is more. Answer: 41 < 47.

Example 4: 60 and 60

Step 1 — tens. Both have 6 tens. The same. Step 2 — ones. Both have 0. The ones are the same too. Answer: 60 = 60.

Example 5: 70 and 7

Watch out — the numbers don't have to both be two-digit. 7 is only a one-digit number.

7 is smaller than any two-digit number (it doesn't even have one ten). Answer: 70 > 7.

Example 6: 81 and 18

They look similar because they have the same digits — 8 and 1. But the order is different.

Step 1 — tens. 81 has 8, 18 has 1. 8 is more. Answer: 81 > 18.

This is a common mistake: you look only at the digits, but what decides is the place of the digit. An 8 in the tens place means 80; an 8 in the ones place is just 8.

Summary

• Always start with the tens.
• Only when the tens are equal do you look at the ones.
• For very different tens, one glance is enough.
• The place of the digit decides, not the digit on its own.