Unit 6 Contents

The base-ten pieces are one model of the place value system. You have built models of base-ten pieces for numbers up to 1,000,000. We have given special names to the base-ten pieces to help us talk about the patterns in our base-ten number system. Starting in the ones place we use the names bit, skinny, flat, super bit, super skinny, super flat, and megabit.

9. What patterns do you see in the shapes of the base-ten pieces?
10. The sizes of the pieces also form a pattern.
1. How many bits make a skinny?
2. How many skinnies make a flat?
3. How many flats make a super bit?
4. Describe the pattern. Do all the pieces follow the pattern?

We can write the value of each piece using the powers of 10. For example, 100 = 10 10 and can be written as 10². This is read as “10 to the second power,” or “10 squared.” 1000 = 10 10 10 and can be written as 10³. This is read as “10 to the third power,” or “10 cubed.” The following chart helps to show these patterns.

11. Draw the chart on your paper and fill in the missing spaces.