We are going to write whole numbers from descriptions. If the description tells about the number of hundreds, we write that digit in the hundreds place (hundreds colu­mn). If the description tells about tens, we write that digit in the tens place (tens column).

Let's start with a whole number that has three digits. Here is the number we will write: we have six hundreds plus seven tens plus nine ones. What number does that make? It's 679. The 6 goes in the hundreds place on the left. The 7 goes in the tens place in the middle. The 9 goes in the ones place (ones column) on the right.

Now let's put together another number using place value. We'll write a whole number that has two digits. Here it is: eight tens plus three ones. What does that make? It makes 83. The 8 goes in the tens place on the left. The 3 goes in the ones place on the right.

How about a number that has four ones? What number is it? The number 4! The number 4 has only one digit. With one-digit whole numbers, we don't have to think about a tens place or a hundreds place. Whole numbers with only one digit have just a ones place.