Comparing three-digit numbers

1. Can you tell which number is more? Try! Write < or > between the numbers.

a.

145		154


234		324

c.

189		302


513		315

Learn the new symbols:

= 100, = 10, and = 1.

124

240

2. Draw the symbols , , and for the numbers. Then compare and write < or > .

a. 120

130

b. 240

420

c. 305

503

d. 453

534

To compare three-digit numbers:

First check if one number has more hundreds than the other.
For example, 652 < 701, because 701 has more hundreds than 652.
If the numbers have the same amount of hundreds, then check the tens .
For example, 652 > 639 because though both have six hundreds, 652 has
more tens than 639.
If the numbers have the same amount of hundreds AND the same amount
of tens, then look at the ones . For example, 652 < 655 because though
both have six hundreds and five tens, 655 has more ones .

Remember, the open end (open mouth) of the symbols < and > ALWAYS
opens towards the bigger number.

3. Find the biggest number in each set!

a. 259, 592, 295	b. 470, 774, 747	c. 409, 944, 949	d. 506, 605, 505
e. 911, 119, 191	f. 482, 382, 284	g. 334, 433, 403	h. 208, 820, 802

4. Write either < or > in between the numbers.

a. 159 < 300	b. 122 100	c. 320 328	d. 212 284
e. 200 190	f. 600 860	g. 456 465	h. 711 599
i. 780 500	j. 107 700	k. 566 850	l. 840 480

5. Arrange the three numbers in order.

a. 140, 156, 149 140 < 149 < 156	b. 357, 573, 750
c. 239, 286, 133	d. 670, 766, 676

6. Mark the numbers on the number line: 513, 530, 489, 468, 596, 606, 560, 466, 506, 516

7. Find a number to write on the empty line. There are many possibilities!

a. 140 < _________ < 149

c. 279 < _________ < 290

b. 267 < _________ < 804

d. 304 < _________ < 310

8. Find your way through the maze! The rules are: you can move either left, right, or
down, provided that the number following is BIGGER than the number in the
square you are in.

100	121	127	133	167	189	200	214	212	398
145	166	134	135	120	230	212	256	347	405
156	167	137	156	155	226	356	378	380	407
632	234	138	246	267	278	476	477	450	417
432	256	200	250	245	300	355	487	478	456
355	253	289	244	305	303	570	569	490	453
361	385	377	367	356	301	537	566	505	498
689	654	390	480	478	488	675	507	508	689
654	543	489	488	483	577	589	609	504	769
723	566	570	589	578	734	631	616	789	1000

Math Lessons menu

Place Value Grade 1 Using a 100-bead abacus in elementary math Teaching tens and ones Practicing with two-digit numbers Counting in groups of ten Skip-counting practice (0-100) Comparing 2-digit numbers Cents and dimes Grade 2 Three-digit numbers Comparing 3-digit numbers Grade 3 Place value with thousands Comparing 4-digit numbers Rounding & estimating Rounding to the nearest 100 Grade 4 Place value - big numbers	Add & subtract lessons Grade 1 Missing addend concept (0-10) Addition facts when the sum is 6 Addition & subtraction connection Grade 2 Fact families & basic addition/subtraction facts Sums that go over over the next ten Add/subtract whole tens (0-100) Add a 2-digit number and a single-digit number mentally Add 2-digit numbers mentally Regrouping in addition Regrouping twice in addition Regrouping or borrowing in subtraction Grade 3 Mental subtraction strategies Rounding & estimating	Multiplication Grade 3 Multiplication concept as repeated addition Multiplication on number line Commutative Multiply by zero Word problems Order of operations Structured drill for multiplication tables Drilling tables of 2, 3, 5, or 10 Drilling tables of 4, 11, 9 Grade 4 Multiplying by whole tens & hundreds Distributive property Partial products - the easy way Partial products - video lesson Multiplication algorithm Multiplication Algorithm — Two-Digit Multiplier Scales problems - video lesson Estimation when multiplying
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