KS2 Maths · Topic guide

Place Value to 10000 and Roman Numerals

In Year 4, pupils extend their understanding of place value to four-digit numbers, up to 10,000, learning what each digit represents in the thousands, hundreds, tens and ones columns. They use this to compare and order numbers, and to round any number to the nearest 10, 100 or 1000.

Year 3-6 (KS2)Number and place valueNational CurriculumKS2 SATs

Before you start

Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:

Method

  1. Write the number in a place value grid with Th (thousands), H (hundreds), T (tens) and O (ones) columns to see what each digit is worth.
  2. To compare two numbers, compare the digit in the highest-value column first (thousands); only move on to the next column if those digits are equal.
  3. To order a list of numbers, compare them column by column the same way, working from the highest-value column down.
  4. To round to the nearest 10, look at the ones digit: 5 or more rounds the tens digit up, 4 or less keeps the tens digit the same and the ones become zero.
  5. To round to the nearest 100, use the tens digit with the same rule; to round to the nearest 1000, use the hundreds digit with the same rule.
  6. For Roman numerals, learn the key symbols (I=1, V=5, X=10, L=50, C=100): a smaller symbol placed before a bigger one is subtracted (IV=4, IX=9, XL=40, XC=90), and a smaller symbol placed after a bigger one is added (VI=6, XI=11).
  7. Build any Roman numeral up to 100 by working from the biggest value down, writing each symbol or pair as many times as needed.

Worked example

Round 6482 to the nearest 10, to the nearest 100, and to the nearest 1000. Then write 47 as a Roman numeral.

  1. Nearest 10: the ones digit is 2, which is less than 5, so round down. 6482 rounds to 6480.
  2. Nearest 100: the tens digit is 8, which is 5 or more, so round up. 6482 rounds to 6500.
  3. Nearest 1000: the hundreds digit is 4, which is less than 5, so round down. 6482 rounds to 6000.
  4. For 47, the biggest value that fits is XL (40), leaving 7 remaining.
  5. Add VII (7) after XL: XL + VII, so 47 = XLVII.

Practice questions

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Q1What is the value of the digit 7 in the number 7,326?Show answer

Answer: 7000 (seven thousand)

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Q2Write these numbers in order from smallest to largest: 4082, 4802, 4028, 4820.Show answer

Answer: 4028, 4082, 4802, 4820

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Q3A stadium ticket counter reads 3,847 tickets sold. Round this number to the nearest 100.Show answer

Answer: 3800

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Q4A school newsletter reports that 5,962 people visited the summer fair website. Round this number to the nearest 1000.Show answer

Answer: 6000

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Q5Write 24 as a Roman numeral.Show answer

Answer: XXIV (XX = 20, IV = 4)

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Q6Write LXVIII as a normal number.Show answer

Answer: 68 (L=50, X=10, V=5, I=1, I=1, I=1: 50+10+5+1+1+1=68)

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Q7Which is greater: the Roman numeral XCIX, or the number 100?Show answer

Answer: 100 is greater, because XCIX = 99 (XC = 90, IX = 9, and 90 + 9 = 99), and 99 is less than 100

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Q8Explain why the number 4,000 has a bigger value than the number 399, even though 399 has more non-zero digits than 4,000.Show answer

Answer: Place value depends on position, not on how many digits are non-zero: the 4 in 4,000 is in the thousands column, so it is worth four thousand, while the digits in 399 are only in the hundreds, tens and ones columns and are worth three hundred and ninety-nine altogether, which is much less than four thousand.

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Exam-style questions

Written in the style of a KS2 Maths exam paper, with a full mark scheme.

Q1[1 mark]

An arena reports that 2,651 people attended a concert. Round this number to the nearest 100.

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Q2[2 marks]

Write the Roman numeral for 94, showing how you built it up from XC and smaller symbols.

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Q3[3 marks]

A theatre has 8,000 seats. On one night, 5,438 tickets are sold. Round the number of tickets sold to the nearest 1000, then use your rounded number to estimate how many empty seats there were. Show your working.

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Free printable worksheet

Want more practice on paper? Download the place value to 10000 and roman numerals worksheet pack - 6 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.

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