Question

Explain why 90,210 is less than 91,021.

Short answer

Answer: 90,210 is less than 91,021 because it has a smaller value in the thousands place (0 in 90,210 compared to 1 in 91,021).

Step-by-step solution

Identify Place Values

Write down the number 90,210 and 91,021. Identify their place values as follows: 90,210: - 9 is in the ten-thousands place - 0 is in the thousands place - 2 is in the hundreds place - 1 is in the tens place - 0 is in the ones place 91,021: - 9 is in the ten-thousands place - 1 is in the thousands place - 0 is in the hundreds place - 2 is in the tens place - 1 is in the ones place

Compare Ten-thousands Place

Compare the numbers in the ten-thousands place for both numbers. They both have the digit 9 in this place. Since they are equal, we need to proceed to the next place value.

Compare Thousands Place

Compare the numbers in the thousands place for both numbers. The first number has 0 in the thousands place, while the second number has 1 in the thousands place. Since 0 is less than 1, we can conclude that 90,210 is less than 91,021 at this point, without needing to compare the remaining place values. 90,210 is less than 91,021 because it has a smaller value in the thousands place.