Step-by-step Maths Level 3: Greatest and least numbers
Part of the Step-by-step Maths Level 3 comparing and ordering to 1000 chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Greatest and least numbers
The greatest number is the one furthest to the right on a number line. The least number is the one furthest to the left.
Compare hundreds first, then tens, then ones, to find them.
Key ideas
- Greatest: the biggest number.
- Least: the smallest number.
- Use hundreds, tens and ones to compare.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the greatest, look for the most hundreds, then the most tens.731, 713, 371, 137
- Find the greatest hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.731, 713
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.731
- Write the answer. This is the greatest number.731
Check. Compare 731 with each other number in the list. It is the greatest.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The greatest number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the least number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the least, look for the fewest hundreds, then the fewest tens.504, 540, 450, 405
- Find the least hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.450, 405
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.405
- Write the answer. This is the least number.405
Check. Compare 405 with each other number in the list. It is the least.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The least number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the greatest, look for the most hundreds, then the most tens.292, 929, 299, 92
- Find the greatest hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.929
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.929
- Write the answer. This is the greatest number.929
Check. Compare 929 with each other number in the list. It is the greatest.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The greatest number is not always the first one in the list.
Watch out
Watch out. 92 is less than 929, even though 92 has a 9 in it. The number of hundreds matters most.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask the child to say which number has the most hundreds first, before looking at any other digit.
Exercise 3C Practice: greatest and least
Non-calculatorMethod. Find the least number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the least, look for the fewest hundreds, then the fewest tens.535, 879, 154, 825
- Find the least hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.154
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.154
- Write the answer. This is the least number.154
Check. Compare 154 with each other number in the list. It is the least.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The least number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the least number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the least, look for the fewest hundreds, then the fewest tens.875, 653, 308, 565, 271
- Find the least hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.271
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.271
- Write the answer. This is the least number.271
Check. Compare 271 with each other number in the list. It is the least.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The least number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the greatest, look for the most hundreds, then the most tens.461, 457, 605, 555, 424
- Find the greatest hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.605
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.605
- Write the answer. This is the greatest number.605
Check. Compare 605 with each other number in the list. It is the greatest.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The greatest number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the least number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the least, look for the fewest hundreds, then the fewest tens.350, 838, 892, 653
- Find the least hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.350
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.350
- Write the answer. This is the least number.350
Check. Compare 350 with each other number in the list. It is the least.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The least number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the greatest, look for the most hundreds, then the most tens.429, 287, 998, 674, 452
- Find the greatest hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.998
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.998
- Write the answer. This is the greatest number.998
Check. Compare 998 with each other number in the list. It is the greatest.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The greatest number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the least number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the least, look for the fewest hundreds, then the fewest tens.966, 872, 586, 377, 263
- Find the least hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.263
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.263
- Write the answer. This is the least number.263
Check. Compare 263 with each other number in the list. It is the least.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The least number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the greatest, look for the most hundreds, then the most tens.930, 984, 748
- Find the greatest hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.930, 984
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.984
- Write the answer. This is the greatest number.984
Check. Compare 984 with each other number in the list. It is the greatest.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The greatest number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the least number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the least, look for the fewest hundreds, then the fewest tens.382, 338, 386, 946
- Find the least hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.382, 338, 386
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.338
- Write the answer. This is the least number.338
Check. Compare 338 with each other number in the list. It is the least.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The least number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the least number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the least, look for the fewest hundreds, then the fewest tens.305, 646, 209, 330, 914
- Find the least hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.209
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.209
- Write the answer. This is the least number.209
Check. Compare 209 with each other number in the list. It is the least.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The least number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the greatest, look for the most hundreds, then the most tens.474, 155, 930, 692
- Find the greatest hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.930
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.930
- Write the answer. This is the greatest number.930
Check. Compare 930 with each other number in the list. It is the greatest.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The greatest number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the least number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the least, look for the fewest hundreds, then the fewest tens.767, 912, 336, 558
- Find the least hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.336
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.336
- Write the answer. This is the least number.336
Check. Compare 336 with each other number in the list. It is the least.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The least number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the least number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the least, look for the fewest hundreds, then the fewest tens.771, 601, 253, 237, 465
- Find the least hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.253, 237
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.237
- Write the answer. This is the least number.237
Check. Compare 237 with each other number in the list. It is the least.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The least number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the least number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the least, look for the fewest hundreds, then the fewest tens.823, 888, 969, 579, 239
- Find the least hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.239
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.239
- Write the answer. This is the least number.239
Check. Compare 239 with each other number in the list. It is the least.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The least number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the greatest number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the greatest, look for the most hundreds, then the most tens.606, 453, 589, 781
- Find the greatest hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.781
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.781
- Write the answer. This is the greatest number.781
Check. Compare 781 with each other number in the list. It is the greatest.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The greatest number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the least number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the least, look for the fewest hundreds, then the fewest tens.139, 263, 442
- Find the least hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.139
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.139
- Write the answer. This is the least number.139
Check. Compare 139 with each other number in the list. It is the least.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The least number is not always the first one in the list.
Method. Find the least number by comparing hundreds, then tens, then ones.
- Look at the hundreds of each number. For the least, look for the fewest hundreds, then the fewest tens.145, 126, 873
- Find the least hundreds. Keep only numbers with that many hundreds.145, 126
- Compare the tens, then the ones, of the numbers left. The one with the most or fewest tens, then ones, is the answer.126
- Write the answer. This is the least number.126
Check. Compare 126 with each other number in the list. It is the least.
Watch out. Compare hundreds first. The least number is not always the first one in the list.