Place Value and Face Value

There are two kinds of values that can be defined in a particular number. They are the place value and the face value. However, many times both are used interchangeably and their real meaning is misunderstood by the people. But, we should know that both of them have a big difference between them. The Place value of a number is its position in that particular number while, on the other hand, the Face value is the actual value that a digit has. So, indeed both have some major differences. 

What is Place Value? 

The place value pertains to the position of a digit in the number itself. 

Let’s take a number, 495, to explain the concept with more clarity and simplicity. 

Here, if we want to know the place value of the digit 4 in the number. Then, we can interpret that 4 has a place value of 400 in the number. Another one is if we want to know the place value of 9 in the same number itself. Then we can deduce 90 as the place value of 9 in the number. 

What is Face Value?

The Face Value of a digit is the actual value of the digit itself in the number. 

Let’s take the same number, 495, to explain the concept with more clarity. 

If we want to know the face value of digit 4 in the number, then we can interpret that 4 itself. Another one, if we take 9 from 495 only, then 9 has a face value of 9 only in the number. 

Place Value and Face Value: Difference

Definition

The Place value of a number is its position in that particular number while, on the other hand, the Face value is the actual value that a digit has in the number, which means the digit itself. 

Dependency

The Place Value of a digit in a number is dependent on what position it holds in the number. Thus, it depends on its position in the number. On the other hand, the Face Value of a digit is the number itself. So, even if the position of a digit changes in a number, it does not affect its face value. 

What is it? 

The Place Value refers to the product of the position of a digit in the number and the number itself. While on the other hand, the Face Value always remains constant for a digit in the number, even if it is placed anywhere in the number, there is no change in the face value. 

Relation between Each Other

The Place Value is the product of the face value of the digit and the position of the digit in the number. While the Face value is the digit itself and isn’t the product formed from any kind. 

Place Value/Face Value in 0

If we talk about the place value of 0 in the number 0 itself, then it always is deduced as 0 only. Likewise, 0 in the number 0 itself, has a face value 0, which is the number itself. 

Examples 

Let’s take a common example for both concepts, 5638. In this number, if we want to know about the place value and face value of 5 in the number. We can analyze that the place value of 5 in the number is 5000 and the face value of 5 in the number is 5 itself. 

Number of digits 

The Place Value of a number isn’t always a single digit. The digit at one place has a place value as a single digit. Apart from that, the place value increases as one move to the left of the numbers. For the case of Face Value, those are always a single number in all the cases. 

Expanded Form 

Let’s have an idea about the concepts through the expanded structures of the number. So, let us put up with 2768 in this concept clearing example. 

Expanded form for 2768

2768= 2000+700+60+8  

The expanded form for a number shows the sum of the place values of each digit in the number. 2000 is the place value for 2, 700 for 7, 60 for 6 and 8 for 8. Nonetheless, if we talk about face values, the numbers have face value as the number itself. As in the above case, 2 has face value 2, 7 has 7, 6 has 6 and 8 has the face value 8 as the number only. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, we should be able to understand the basic concept of place value and face value and avoid their interchangeability in our lives. The place value of a number is its position in that particular number while, on the other hand, the Face value is the actual value that a digit has. One shouldn’t interchangeably use it during the questions they are asked. In addition, the Place Value refers to the product of the position of a digit in the number and the number itself. While on the other hand, the Face Value always remains constant for a digit in the number.