Chapter 6 of 14

43%

CBSE Class 3 Mathematics★ 3-4 marks through school tests, activities, notebook work, and competency questions in CBSE Class 3 Mathematics (Maths Mela)

House of Hundreds – I

A CBSE Class 3 Mathematics (Maths Mela) chapter that builds place value — hundreds, tens, and ones. Children see how 10 ones make a ten and 10 tens make a hundred, and they read, write, and build three-digit numbers. These notes give core ideas, worked examples, an activity, common mistakes, a practice set with answers, and quick revision.

⏱ 16 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

Ask AI about this

🔤Build your vocabulary from this chapterLexiGenome mines the key words, explains them in your language, and schedules them with spaced repetition.Mine words →

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

1Explain that 10 ones make a ten and 10 tens make a hundred
2Identify the hundreds, tens, and ones place in a three-digit number
3State the value of a digit by its place
4Write a number in expanded form
5Build a three-digit number from hundreds, tens, and ones

💡

Why this chapter matters

House of Hundreds – I builds place value, the backbone of number sense. Children learn that 10 ones make a ten and 10 tens make a hundred, and they read, write, and build three-digit numbers using hundreds, tens, and ones.

Before you start — revise these

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

🔗

Two-digit place value

Understanding tens and ones in two-digit numbers.

House of Hundreds – I — Class 3 Mathematics (CBSE)

From the current NCERT Maths Mela Grade 3 book, Chapter 6. Numbers live in a "house" with rooms for hundreds, tens, and ones.

1. Why this chapter matters

Every big number is built from hundreds, tens, and ones. Understanding this place value lets us read, write, and compare numbers, and is the secret behind addition, subtraction, and beyond. This chapter makes place value clear using bundles and a place-value "house".

2. Core ideas

Idea 1 — Ten of one makes one of the next

10 ones = 1 ten, and 10 tens = 1 hundred. We bundle as we grow.

Method 2 — A three-digit number has three places

In 234: the 2 is in the hundreds place (200), the 3 is in the tens place (30), the 4 is in the ones place (4).

Skill 3 — Expanded form shows the value of each digit

234 = 200 + 30 + 4.

3. Worked examples

Example 1: What is the value of 3 in 305?

The 3 is in the hundreds place, so its value is 300. (There are 0 tens.)

Example 2: Build the number with 2 hundreds, 5 tens, 6 ones.

2 hundreds + 5 tens + 6 ones = 256.

Example 3: Write 418 in expanded form.

418 = 400 + 10 + 8.

4. Activity corner

Use bundles of straws (hundreds, tens) and loose straws (ones) to build three numbers, such as 142, 230, and 307. Write:

What I built (the bundles and loose straws)
The number in figures
The maths idea (place value: hundreds, tens, ones)

5. Common mistakes

Mistake: Thinking the digit 5 always means five. Fix: Its value depends on its place — in 502 it means 5 hundreds = 500.
Mistake: Dropping the zero, writing 305 as 35. Fix: The 0 holds the tens place; 305 has 3 hundreds, 0 tens, 5 ones.
Mistake: Mixing up tens and ones. Fix: Ones are on the right, tens next, hundreds on the left.

6. How to write better answers

Identify the place of each digit (hundreds, tens, ones).
Write the value of each digit.
Show expanded form if asked (e.g., 200 + 30 + 4).
Write the number clearly in figures.

7. Practice set

What is the value of 7 in 274?
Build the number: 3 hundreds, 0 tens, 9 ones.
Write 365 in expanded form.
How many tens make one hundred?
Which digit is in the hundreds place in 580?
Write the number for 4 hundreds + 4 tens + 4 ones.

8. Answer key

The 7 is in the tens place, so its value is 70.
3 hundreds, 0 tens, 9 ones = 309.
365 = 300 + 60 + 5.
10 tens make one hundred.
The digit 5 is in the hundreds place (value 500).
4 hundreds + 4 tens + 4 ones = 444.

9. Quick revision

10 ones = 1 ten; 10 tens = 1 hundred.
A three-digit number has hundreds, tens, and ones places.
The value of a digit depends on its place (in 234, the 2 means 200).
Expanded form: 234 = 200 + 30 + 4.
A zero holds a place, so 305 is not the same as 35.

Key formulas & results

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

Core idea

10 ones = 1 ten, and 10 tens = 1 hundred.

We bundle as numbers grow.

Math move

A digit's value depends on its place: in 234, 2 = 200, 3 = 30, 4 = 4.

Ones on the right, then tens, then hundreds.

Exam habit

Expanded form shows each digit's value: 234 = 200 + 30 + 4.

A zero holds a place, so 305 is not 35.

⚠️

Common mistakes & fixes

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

WATCH OUT

✗ Thinking a digit always means its face value

✓ The value depends on the place; in 502 the 5 means 500.

WATCH OUT

✗ Dropping the zero, writing 305 as 35

✓ The 0 holds the tens place; 305 has 3 hundreds, 0 tens, 5 ones.

WATCH OUT

✗ Mixing up tens and ones

✓ Ones are on the right, tens next, hundreds on the left.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

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

Read, observe, and discuss

Use bundles of straws and the place-value house from the textbook to build numbers before writing answers.

Questions

Notebook practice

Finding the value of digits, writing expanded form, and building three-digit numbers.

Questions

Project or activity

Build three numbers using straw bundles for hundreds and tens and loose straws for ones.

Questions

Practice problems

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

Q1EASY· Place value

What is the value of 7 in 274?

▶ Show solution

70 (the 7 is in the tens place).

Q2EASY· Build

Build the number: 3 hundreds, 0 tens, 9 ones.

▶ Show solution

309.

Q3EASY· Expanded

Write 365 in expanded form.

▶ Show solution

300 + 60 + 5.

Q4MEDIUM· Concept

How many tens make one hundred?

▶ Show solution

10 tens make one hundred.

Q5MEDIUM· Place value

Which digit is in the hundreds place in 580, and what is its value?

▶ Show solution

The digit 5, with value 500.

Q6HARD· Build

Write the number for 4 hundreds + 4 tens + 4 ones, and say the value of each 4.

▶ Show solution

444; the first 4 is 400, the second 4 is 40, the third 4 is 4.

5-minute revision

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

•House of Hundreds – I is Chapter 6 of the Class 3 Maths Mela textbook.
•10 ones = 1 ten; 10 tens = 1 hundred.
•A three-digit number has hundreds, tens, and ones places.
•A digit's value depends on its place (in 234, the 2 means 200).
•Expanded form: 234 = 200 + 30 + 4.
•A zero holds a place, so 305 is not the same as 35.

CBSE marks blueprint

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

Typical chapter weightage: 3-4 marks in school tests, oral checks, notebooks, and activities

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Very Short	1	2-3	Value of a digit, building a number, or expanded form
Short Answer	2	1-2	Place-value reasoning and bundling
Activity / Project	3	0-1	Building numbers with bundles and explaining place value

Prep strategy

Practise saying the place and value of each digit
Write numbers in expanded form
Build numbers using bundles of ten and a hundred
Watch the zero as a place holder

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Reading larger numbers

Place value lets us read prices, page numbers, and house numbers correctly.

Adding and subtracting

Lining up hundreds, tens, and ones is the basis of column arithmetic.

Money and counting

Bundles of hundreds and tens mirror how we count notes and coins.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Underline the command word: value, build, or expanded form
State the place before the value of a digit
Keep the zero as a place holder
Write expanded form as hundreds + tens + ones

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Make the largest three-digit number using the digits 4, 0, and 7, and write its expanded form.
How many tens are there in all in the number 250?

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

CBSE Class 3 School AssessmentHigh

Class 3 Foundation / Olympiad PracticeMedium

Notebook and Activity EvaluationHigh

AI helpers for this chapter

Generate more practice on the fly, or have the chapter explained at a different level.

⚡

Generate 5 more questions

Fresh MCQs + short-answer items based on this chapter, plus answer keys.

🧠

Explain at a different level

Re-explain the chapter at the level you actually want.

📝 My notes

Saved on this device — sign in to sync · how this works

0/600

Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

Place value means the value of a digit depends on its position. In 234, the 2 is in the hundreds place and means 200.

The zero holds the tens place, showing there are 0 tens. Without it, 305 would wrongly become 35.

Practice more, ask doubts, find a tutor

CBSE Class 3 mock tests

CBSE Class 3 PYQs

Ask in Q&A

Mathematics flashcards

Related chapters

Students who read House of Hundreds – I usually read these next.

What's in a Name?

The opening chapter of CBSE Class 3 Mathematics (Maths Mela). Children collect and compare simple information (data) using their own names — counting letters, finding the longest and shortest names, sorting, and showing results in tables and picture graphs. These notes give the core ideas, worked examples, an activity, common mistakes, a practice set with answers, and quick revision.

Toy Joy

A CBSE Class 3 Mathematics (Maths Mela) chapter on solid (3D) shapes — cube, cuboid, cylinder, cone, and sphere. Using toys and everyday objects, children explore flat and curved surfaces and notice which shapes roll, slide, and stack. These notes give the core ideas, worked examples, an activity, common mistakes, a practice set with answers, and quick revision.

Double Century

A CBSE Class 3 Mathematics (Maths Mela) chapter that takes numbers beyond 100 up to 200 — a "double century". Children read, write, and compare numbers to 200, build them from hundreds, tens, and ones, estimate quantities, and spot number patterns. These notes give core ideas, worked examples, an activity, common mistakes, a practice set with answers, and quick revision.

Vacation with My Nani Maa

A CBSE Class 3 Mathematics (Maths Mela) chapter that practises addition and subtraction through a holiday with Nani Maa (grandmother). Children add and take away with two- and three-digit numbers, estimate totals, and solve real-life word problems. These notes give core ideas, worked examples, an activity, common mistakes, a practice set with answers, and quick revision.