topic badge
United KingdomEngland
KeyStage 2 Lower

Order numbers (50000 to 90000)

Lesson

Why do we order numbers?

In our day to day life, there are many times we need to compare things, to find out which is bigger, taller, longer, smaller, shorter, and so on. While it might seem simple when we compare numbers like $6$6, $24$24, $120$120 etc., it gets tricky with larger numbers. 

bigger or smaller

There are some other words we need to get to know, which can mean 'bigger' or 'smaller'. Here are some other words that we use to describe things getting bigger:

  • larger
  • increasing
  • ascending

For things that are smaller, or becoming smaller, you might see the words:

  • reducing
  • decreasing
  • descending

Let's look at how we can compare numbers in the thousands, in Video 1. We have used number lines to order fractions before, so let's see how we can use them to compare large numbers. Place value is also an important tool that we use, so that we can read and write large numbers.

Side by side

Once we get the hang of checking the value of each digit, it becomes easier to look at numbers side by side and work out their order. In Video 2, we're going to solve our earlier problem, but this time, look at our numbers and think how we might do this.

Even though baseball had the largest crowd in our problem in Video 1, there have been some adjustments to the numbers. We'll need to solve some number problems, and then check to see which has the highest attendance. Which sport will it be? You'll find out in Video 2.

Worked Examples

Question 1

We want to work out which of 3 numbers is the biggest.

  1. Plot $57030$57030, $57230$57230 and $57130$57130 on the number line below:

    570005705057100571505720057250

  2. Write the three numbers from smallest to biggest on one line, separated by a comma.

Question 2

Which is the smallest number?

  1. $57339$57339

    A

    $55626$55626

    B

    $54146$54146

    C

    $57077$57077

    D

Question 3

Order these numbers from smallest to largest. Put a comma between each number.

  1. $70789,80977,80779$70789,80977,80779

  2. $69106,60916,69016$69106,60916,69016

What is Mathspace

About Mathspace