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CBSE Class 3 Mathematics★ 5–7 marks · CBSE Class 3 Mathematics (Math-Magic) Chapter 2

Fun with Numbers

Numbers up to 1000! Place value, expanded form, skip counting, and number patterns. Real-world cricket context with Dhoni's century. CBSE Class 3 Mathematics (Math-Magic) Chapter 2.

⏱ 10 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Read and write 3-digit numbers (100 to 999) in numerals and words
2Understand place value: Hundreds (H), Tens (T), and Ones (O) — e.g., 345 = 3 hundreds + 4 tens + 5 ones
3Write numbers in expanded form: 345 = 300 + 40 + 5
4Skip count by 2s, 5s, 10s, 50s, and 100s — forward and backward
5Identify number patterns and complete missing numbers in sequences up to 1000

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Why this chapter matters

Numbers up to 1000 form the foundation of all future arithmetic. This chapter teaches place value (Hundreds, Tens, Ones), expanded form, skip counting, and number patterns — through real-world contexts like cricket scores (Dhoni's century) and daily counting. Mastering place value at this stage prevents common errors in addition, subtraction, and larger numbers later.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

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Class 2 Mathematics: Numbers up to 100

Must be comfortable reading and writing 2-digit numbers and understanding tens and ones.

Fun with Numbers

Numbers Up to 1000

In Class 2, you learned numbers up to 100. Now let's go ALL the way to 1000!

Counting from 1 to 1000

1 to 9: One-digit numbers (1, 2, 3... 9)
10 to 99: Two-digit numbers (10, 11, 12... 99)
100 to 999: Three-digit numbers (100, 101, 102... 999)
1000: Four-digit number (One THOUSAND)

Reading and Writing 3-Digit Numbers

Number	Written As
100	One hundred
234	Two hundred thirty-four
405	Four hundred five
580	Five hundred eighty
999	Nine hundred ninety-nine
1000	One thousand

Key Rule: When writing in words, use a HYPHEN (-) between tens and ones (e.g., thirty-four, eighty-two).

Place Value — The Most Important Idea

Every digit in a number has a PLACE and a VALUE.

Three Places in a 3-Digit Number

Hundreds (H)	Tens (T)	Ones (O)
100s place	10s place	1s place

Example: 345

Hundreds	Tens	Ones
3	4	5
300	40	5

3 hundreds + 4 tens + 5 ones = 300 + 40 + 5 = 345

Example: 607

Hundreds	Tens	Ones
6	0	7
600	0	7

Notice: The TENS place has 0. We still write it: 600 + 0 + 7 = 607

Expanded Form

Expanded form means writing a number as the SUM of its place values.

Number	Expanded Form
234	200 + 30 + 4
506	500 + 0 + 6
780	700 + 80 + 0
999	900 + 90 + 9
1000	1000 + 0 + 0 + 0

Practice: Write 425 in expanded form. Answer: 425 = 400 + 20 + 5

Comparing and Ordering Numbers

Which is Bigger?

When comparing two 3-digit numbers:

First compare the HUNDREDS place
If hundreds are the SAME, compare the TENS place
If tens are also the SAME, compare the ONES place

Examples

345 and 234: 3 hundreds > 2 hundreds, so 345 > 234
345 and 356: Hundreds are same (3), compare tens: 4 tens < 5 tens, so 345 < 356
345 and 345: All places are SAME, so 345 = 345

Ordering Numbers

Arrange from SMALLEST to LARGEST: 234, 98, 567, 405

Step 1: 98 is two-digit (smallest)
Step 2: 234, 405, 567 (compare hundreds)
Answer: 98, 234, 405, 567

Arrange from LARGEST to SMALLEST: 890, 345, 678, 234

Answer: 890, 678, 345, 234

Skip Counting

Skip counting means counting FORWARD or BACKWARD by a FIXED number.

Common Skip Counts

Skip Count	Pattern	Example
By 2s	Add 2 each time	2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12...
By 5s	Add 5 each time	5, 10, 15, 20, 25...
By 10s	Add 10 each time	10, 20, 30, 40, 50...
By 50s	Add 50 each time	50, 100, 150, 200...
By 100s	Add 100 each time	100, 200, 300, 400...

Fill in the Blanks

15, 20, 25, ___, 35, ___ (30, 40)
110, 120, ___, 140, ___, 160 (130, 150)
300, 350, ___, 450, ___ (400, 500)
7, 14, 21, ___, 35, ___ (28, 42)

Number Patterns

A number pattern is a SEQUENCE that FOLLOWS a rule.

Examples of Number Patterns

Pattern	Rule	Next Number
2, 4, 6, 8, 10	Add 2	12
100, 90, 80, 70	Subtract 10	60
5, 10, 20, 25	Add 5, add 10, add 5	35 (add 10)
1, 2, 4, 7, 11	Add 1, add 2, add 3, add 4	16 (add 5)

Try This: What comes next? 3, 6, 9, 12, ___ Answer: 15 (adding 3 each time)

Dhoni's Century — Real-World Context

Cricket legend MS DHONI scored his FIRST ODI century on April 5, 2005.

Understanding Cricket Numbers

A CENTURY means 100 runs
A HALF-CENTURY means 50 runs
Dhoni's highest ODI score is 183 not out

Place Value in Cricket

183 runs = 1 hundred + 8 tens + 3 ones = 100 + 80 + 3

If Dhoni scores 100 today and 75 tomorrow: 100 + 75 = 175 runs total.

Match Score Example: India: 342 (3 hundreds + 4 tens + 2 ones). This means 300 + 40 + 2 = 342 runs.

Common Mistakes

'405 is read as forty-five.' — No! 405 is 'four hundred five.' The ZERO in the tens place means there are NO tens.
'234 and 243 are the same number.' — No! 234 has 3 in the ones place. 243 has 4 in the tens place. They are DIFFERENT.
'If I skip count by 10s from 5, I get 10, 20, 30...' — No! Skip counting by 10s from 5 gives: 5, 15, 25, 35, 45...
'1000 is a 3-digit number.' — No! 1000 is a 4-digit number. The smallest 4-digit number is 1000.
'Expanded form of 607 is 600 + 70.' — No! The tens place is 0, so it is 600 + 0 + 7.

Quick Self-Test

Q1: What is the place value of 7 in 376? A1: 7 is in the TENS place, so its value is 70.

Q2: Which is bigger: 543 or 534? A2: 543 (both have 5 hundreds, but 543 has 4 tens while 534 has 3 tens).

Q3: Skip count by 5s: 25, 30, ___, 40, ___ A3: 35, 45.

Q4: Write 890 in expanded form. A4: 800 + 90 + 0 (or 800 + 90).

Q5: How many hundreds are in 1000? A5: 10 hundreds (10 x 100 = 1000).

Q6: Write four hundred seven in numbers. A6: 407.

Q7: What comes after 999? A7: 1000.

Q8: Arrange from smallest to largest: 345, 98, 567, 234 A8: 98, 234, 345, 567.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Place value chart

3-digit number: H | T | O. Each place is 10 times the place to its right. H = 100, T = 10, O = 1. Example: 472 → 4 hundreds (400), 7 tens (70), 2 ones (2).

The SAME digit has different values in different places. In 373: the first 3 is 300, the last 3 is just 3.

Expanded form

345 = 300 + 40 + 5. 608 = 600 + 0 + 8 (or 600 + 8). 290 = 200 + 90 + 0 (or 200 + 90). Break the number into hundreds + tens + ones.

Expanded form shows the VALUE of each digit — it makes the number's structure visible.

Skip counting patterns

By 2s: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10... (even numbers) · By 5s: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25... · By 10s: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50... · By 50s: 50, 100, 150, 200... · By 100s: 100, 200, 300, 400... → 1000

Skip counting is the foundation of multiplication. It also helps in quick mental addition.

Number names (words)

100 = one hundred · 234 = two hundred thirty-four (hyphen between tens and ones) · 405 = four hundred five (no 'and', zero tens omitted) · 580 = five hundred eighty · 999 = nine hundred ninety-nine · 1000 = one thousand

Use a hyphen between tens and ones. No 'and' after hundred. If tens place is 0, skip it.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Writing 405 as 'four hundred and five'

✓ In standard number names, we do NOT use 'and'. Write 'four hundred five'. The 'and' is for decimals (though not at Class 3 level). Simply say 'four hundred five'.

WATCH OUT

✗ Confusing place value: thinking 308 is three hundred eighty

✓ 308 has 0 in the tens place, so it's 'three hundred eight' — not three hundred eighty. 380 would be three hundred eighty (8 in tens place).

WATCH OUT

✗ In skip counting by 100s: writing 190, 200 — and then jumping to 300

✓ After 100, the next by 100 is 200, then 300, 400... But when skip counting from a number like 190 by 100s: 190 → 290 → 390 → 490... Don't skip to round hundreds only.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Number reading and writing

Write numbers in words and numerals; fill place value charts; write expanded form; skip counting sequences

Questions

Pattern and application

Complete number patterns; find missing numbers; Dhoni's century context — counting runs

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· Place Value

What is the place value of 6 in 462?

▶ Show solution

In 462, 6 is in the TENS place. So its place value is 60 (six tens).

Q2EASY· Number Names

Write 708 in words.

▶ Show solution

Seven hundred eight. (No 'and', and the zero in the tens place is not written in words.)

Q3EASY· Expanded Form

Write 536 in expanded form.

▶ Show solution

536 = 500 + 30 + 6. (5 hundreds = 500, 3 tens = 30, 6 ones = 6.)

Q4EASY· Skip Counting

Complete the pattern: 250, 300, 350, ___, 450, ___.

▶ Show solution

The pattern is skip counting by 50. So: 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500.

Q5MEDIUM· Apply

In the number 373, the digit 3 appears twice. Do both 3s have the same value? Explain.

▶ Show solution

No, both 3s do NOT have the same value. The first 3 (from the left) is in the hundreds place — its value is 300. The last 3 is in the ones place — its value is just 3. The SAME digit has different values depending on its place in the number.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•3-digit numbers have three places: Hundreds (H), Tens (T), and Ones (O)
•Expanded form breaks a number into its place values: 472 = 400 + 70 + 2
•Skip counting: by 10s → 10, 20, 30...; by 50s → 50, 100, 150...; by 100s → 100, 200, 300... → 1000
•Number names: use hyphen between tens and ones (thirty-four), no 'and' after hundred
•Same digit, different place = different value: in 373, the first 3 = 300, the last 3 = 3

CBSE marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 5–7 marks in Class 3 Mathematics assessment

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Fill in the blanks / MCQ (1 mark)	1	2–3	Place value of a digit; writing number names; identifying the expanded form
Short answer / Do as directed (2 marks)	2	2	Writing expanded form; skip counting patterns; completing number sequences

Prep strategy

Practice reading 3-digit numbers on car number plates, page numbers, and shop prices — make it a game
Use a simple H-T-O chart drawn on paper — place digits and ask: 'What is the value of this digit?'
Skip counting chant: count by 2s while jumping, by 10s while clapping — physical rhythm helps memory
Write numbers in expanded form daily — start with easy (200+30+4) and increase difficulty
Use bundles of sticks or blocks: 10 sticks = 1 ten, 10 tens = 1 hundred — hands-on place value

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