Numbers upto 6 Digits

Numbers up to 6 digits are natural numbers that have the place value till hundreds, thousands, or lakhs. Can you write the population of the state where you live in number form? How about writing down the price of your favorite car in the number form as well? When you buy a car or count a state's population you will look at six and seven-digit numbers. In this lesson, we will explore the world of numbers up to 6-digits. We will walk through the Indian and International numbering systems for the numbers upto 6-digits, see how to decompose them, clear misconceptions, and discover an interesting 6-digit number.

What are Numbers Up to 6-Digits?

In the 6-digit numbers, the highest place value is 1,00,000 which has a unique name in the Indian numeral system – a lakh. A lakh is 1 followed by 5 zeros and is the smallest possible 6-digit number. It is essential to understand the Indian numbering system at this stage because from the next higher place value (or the next higher power of ten), the International numbering system would also be used, so the difference must be made clear.

There are three special numbers in the Indian numbering system – Lakh, Crore, and Arab.

• One lakh in numbers is written as 1,00,000.
• A crore is equal to a hundred lakhs and is expressed as 1,00,00,000
• An Arab is 100 crores and is expressed as 1,00,00,00,000

There is no particular name for a lakh in the International system, and it is simply referred to as a hundred thousand. Let's have a look at the International System.

Commas in 6-Digit Numbers

As per the Indian numbering system, there would be two commas used in any six-digit number. The first would demarcate the first three digits (from right) to show how many thousands there are, and the next would come after the first 5 digits from the right to show how many lakhs are there in the number. For example, you would write 372672 as 3,72,672 to mean that the number has 3 lakhs, 72 thousand, 6 hundred, 7 tens, and 2 ones.

How to Decompose 6-Digit Numbers?

Decomposition of a 6-digit number means to write that number with the help of its place value and face value. Like we said at the start, a six-digit number has place values up to a lakh. Given below are the names of the place values (starting from the right) in a six-digit number:

• Digit 1-Units
• Digit 2-Tens
• Digit 3-Hundreds
• Digit 4-Thousands
• Digit 5-Ten Thousands
• Digit 6-Lakhs

So let us take a random six-digit number like 2,31,273(Indian System) and 231,273(International System) and see how it gets decomposed.

Observe carefully its decomposition as per International Number System.

Expanded form is useful to split and present the higher digit number in its units, tens, hundreds, thousands form. Decomposition of numbers leads to writing or reading of numbers in an expanded form which further helps to better understand and rightly read the higher digit numbers. For 2,31,273 can be written in expanded form as 2,00,000 + 30,000 + 1,000 + 200 + 70 + 3.

The Significance of Zero in 6-Digit Numbers

Any zero which does not have any non-zero number to its left does not count in the digits of the 6-digit number. Take, for example, two 6-digit numbers 023843 and 002305. In both these numbers, the 6^th number on the extreme left does not have any further non zero number to its left. Additionally, in 002305, the 5^th number from the right also does not have any further non zero number to its left. So for 002305, the two numbers on the left extreme are without any value. So the two numbers can actually be written as 23843 (which makes it a 5-digit number) and 2305 (which makes it a 4-digit number). On the other hand, with the addition of each zero to the right of any digit in the number, increase the value of that number, such as 238430(which is a 6-digit number) becomes 2384300, which is a 7-digit number.

An interesting 6-digit number

As you continue to explore your way around the exciting world of numbers, you will come across a number that usually is written using 6 digits (although shorter versions are also used). This number is called 'Pi' (pronounced as Pie) and is represented as 3.14159 and the Greek letter π. It is defined as the ratio between a circle’s circumference and its diameter. So, if the diameter is D, and circumference is C, then C = πD. In more simple terms, it is the ratio of the number 22 and the number 7. Although it is usually represented by six digits (and sometimes even smaller versions like 3.14 or 3.142), it is theoretically possible to have infinite digits in this number. Now we come to the interesting part. Instead of 22/7, let us consider 1/7. This number 1/7 is another cyclic number (it has infinite numbers after the decimal point), but we usually write it as 0.142857. Here are some amazing facts about 0.142857

• When you multiply these 6 digits 142857 by 7, you get 999999
• It is even more interesting to note that the same set of digits get repeated when you multiply 142857 by the numbers 1 through 6
• 142857 × 2 = 285714
• 142857 × 3 = 428571
• 142857 × 4 = 571428
• 142857 × 5 = 714285
• 142857 × 6 = 857142

Common Mistakes or Misconceptions

Right from early grades, children face difficulties regarding the place value of digits in the given numbers and then they come across learning of the number system and conversions from one number system to another. Here children should build comfort writing the same number in both systems. Targeted practice helps. Given below are common mistakes and misconceptions.

• Misconception:  "One hundred thousand" and "one lakh" are two different numbers. So, 100,000 is written as “One hundred thousand” as per the International naming system but “One lakh” as per the Indian system.

• Children tend to make mistakes when placing commas in numbers of 6 or more digits. This once again happens because of two conventions - the Indian system and the International system. 

Let's now understand how can we write a 6-digit number in Indian as well as International System.

6-Digit Numbers Place Value

The best way to learn to write 6-digit numbers is to create a chart with all the place names listed. You must have observed that till ten-thousand the naming convention is the same. But for 6 digits or higher the same number has two names. The choice of names does not change the value of the number. “One lakh” and “one hundred thousand” are equal (have the same value). Also, the given numbers can be represented in standard form, words, or in expanded form.

Tips and Tricks

• Tip: Remember the zeros for two large numbers and all other larger or smaller numbers can then be written with reference to these two numbers.

           "one crore" is 1 followed by 7 zeros.
           "1 million" is 1 followed by 6 zeros.

• Trick: If we want to round off say 4,63,859 to the nearest thousand then underline all digits that are in the lower place values (ones, tens, and hundreds, in this example). Then replace those digits with zero, while doing this check the highest place value we are replacing (hundreds place i.e 8 in this example). If that is 5 or higher, increase the thousands place by one. So the rounded off number will become 4,64,000

Important Points

• 100 lakhs make a crore.
• The greatest 6-digit number is 9,99,999 which is read as nine lakh, ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine.
• Interesting fact: On cheques, we write the amount in both ways (In digits as well as in words).Example: two lakh is written as Rs. 2,00,000 in the number space provided, and 'Rupees Two lakh only' is written as words in the line below.

FAQs on Numbers Up to 6-digits