More digits does not mean a greater number. Compare the places from left to right and stop at the first digit that is different.
1Compare Left to Right
Ones
Tenths
Hundredths
Thousandths
3
.
2
4
6
3
.
2
5
0
same
same
4 < 5
Both hold 3 ones and 2 tenths. Hundredths differs first, and 4 is less than 5, so 3.246 < 3.25. The digits after it do not change the answer.
2Longer Is Not Larger
0.45 > 0.6
✗ 45 beats 6
0.45 < 0.60
✓ 45 vs 60 hundredths
Counting digits is a whole number habit. 0.45 is forty-five hundredths and 0.6 is sixty hundredths, so the longer number is the smaller one.
3End Zeros, Inside Zeros
0.6 = 0.60 = 0.600
same value, more places
0.45
45 hundredths
0.045
45 thousandths
A zero after the last digit fills an empty place and changes nothing. A zero right after the point moves every digit one place further right, so 0.045 is a tenth of 0.45.
4Order Them on a Line
0.45 < 0.504 < 0.6
A number line orders a whole set at once and shows 0.504 just past 0.5. The symbol opens toward the larger number.
