Step-by-step Maths Level 2: Finding the greatest and the least
Part of the Step-by-step Maths Level 2 comparing and ordering to 100 chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Finding the greatest and the least
The greatest number is the biggest. The least number is the smallest.
You can find them by comparing the tens, then the ones. You do not need to put every number in order.
Key ideas
- Greatest means biggest.
- Least means smallest.
- Look at the tens first.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.5, 6, 4, 5
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.56, 61, 49, 58
- Choose the greatest. It is the biggest of the numbers in the list.61
Check. Put the others in order to check: 61 is the greatest of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the least number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.7, 2, 7, 7
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.72, 27, 70, 79
- Choose the least. It is the smallest of the numbers in the list.27
Check. Put the others in order to check: 27 is the least of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.3, 8, 3, 2
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.38, 83, 33, 28
- Choose the greatest. It is the biggest of the numbers in the list.83
Check. Put the others in order to check: 83 is the greatest of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Watch out
Watch out. The greatest number does not always have the biggest ones digit. Compare the tens first.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask: “Which is the biggest?” and “Which is the smallest?” with the same set of numbers.
Exercise 3C Practice: greatest and least
Non-calculatorMethod. Find the least number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.1, 8, 6
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.10, 80, 66
- Choose the least. It is the smallest of the numbers in the list.10
Check. Put the others in order to check: 10 is the least of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the least number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.8, 8, 9, 8, 6
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.82, 88, 91, 87, 64
- Choose the least. It is the smallest of the numbers in the list.64
Check. Put the others in order to check: 64 is the least of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.8, 6, 9, 3, 7
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.85, 63, 99, 34, 76
- Choose the greatest. It is the biggest of the numbers in the list.99
Check. Put the others in order to check: 99 is the greatest of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.4, 2, 5
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.45, 26, 51
- Choose the greatest. It is the biggest of the numbers in the list.51
Check. Put the others in order to check: 51 is the greatest of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.9, 3, 4, 8
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.97, 38, 46, 84
- Choose the greatest. It is the biggest of the numbers in the list.97
Check. Put the others in order to check: 97 is the greatest of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.5, 9, 9
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.50, 93, 94
- Choose the greatest. It is the biggest of the numbers in the list.94
Check. Put the others in order to check: 94 is the greatest of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.2, 3, 8, 1
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.29, 39, 86, 14
- Choose the greatest. It is the biggest of the numbers in the list.86
Check. Put the others in order to check: 86 is the greatest of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.4, 6, 1, 1, 8
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.41, 63, 13, 15, 88
- Choose the greatest. It is the biggest of the numbers in the list.88
Check. Put the others in order to check: 88 is the greatest of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.8, 4, 6, 7, 1
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.86, 48, 68, 78, 16
- Choose the greatest. It is the biggest of the numbers in the list.86
Check. Put the others in order to check: 86 is the greatest of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the least number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.7, 8, 7
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.75, 88, 76
- Choose the least. It is the smallest of the numbers in the list.75
Check. Put the others in order to check: 75 is the least of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the least number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.6, 9, 2, 4
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.65, 90, 24, 44
- Choose the least. It is the smallest of the numbers in the list.24
Check. Put the others in order to check: 24 is the least of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the least number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.1, 4, 2
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.19, 43, 23
- Choose the least. It is the smallest of the numbers in the list.19
Check. Put the others in order to check: 19 is the least of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.7, 3, 4, 7, 5
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.76, 33, 46, 78, 56
- Choose the greatest. It is the biggest of the numbers in the list.78
Check. Put the others in order to check: 78 is the greatest of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.1, 6, 1
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.19, 65, 16
- Choose the greatest. It is the biggest of the numbers in the list.65
Check. Put the others in order to check: 65 is the greatest of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the least number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.3, 5, 8, 2
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.32, 55, 82, 28
- Choose the least. It is the smallest of the numbers in the list.28
Check. Put the others in order to check: 28 is the least of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.
Method. Find the least number by comparing the tens first.
- Look at the tens. The numbers with the most tens are the greatest.3, 4, 8, 2
- Check the ones if two numbers have the same tens. The ones decide between them.32, 44, 86, 28
- Choose the least. It is the smallest of the numbers in the list.28
Check. Put the others in order to check: 28 is the least of them all.
Watch out. The number with the largest ones digit is not always the greatest.