Definition
Tenths
Tenths are equal parts made by dividing one whole into ten; one tenth is 1/10 or 0.1.
What it means
Cut one whole into 10 equal parts. Each part is one tenth, and all 10 tenths rebuild the whole. In a decimal, the first digit after the decimal point counts tenths.
Remember it
Ten equal tenths fit exactly into one whole.
Example
The number 3.7 means 3 wholes and 7 tenths: 3.7 = 3 + 7/10.
Watch for
In 0.07, the 7 is in the hundredths place, so the number is seven hundredths, not seven tenths.
Common mix-up
The number of pieces is not enough: the whole must be divided into 10 equal parts for the pieces to be tenths.
Exact meaning
One tenth is one of ten equal parts of a whole, so 1/10 = 0.1. In decimal place value, the tenths place is immediately to the right of the decimal point.