5th Grade Comparing Decimals Worksheet
Compare decimals to the hundredths with <, >, or =, lining up place value instead of counting digits.
- Homework
- Review
- Test Prep
- Tutoring
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- Grade
- 5th Grade
- Subject
- Math
- Skill
- Decimals
- Topic
- comparing decimals to hundredths
- Difficulty
- Standard
- Time
- 15 minutes
- Pages
- 2 (incl. answer key)
- Format
- Printable PDF (US Letter)
- Answer key
- Included
- Best for
- homework, review, test prep, tutoring
Worksheet details
What This Worksheet Practices
Students will compare decimals to the hundredths place using place value and record with <, >, or =.
- Comparing tenths and hundredths
- Lining up the decimal point and place values
- Using <, >, and =
Worksheet Preview
Longer is not always larger
The number-one decimal misconception: students see 0.45 and 0.5 and assume 0.45 is bigger because it “has more digits.” Comparing decimals is about place value, not digit count. Writing 0.5 as 0.50 makes the comparison obvious — 50 hundredths beats 45 hundredths.
How to use it
Have students line up the decimal points and compare one place at a time, left to right — tenths first, then hundredths. Adding a trailing zero so both decimals have the same number of places (0.5 → 0.50) makes the comparison concrete. This is the same logic as comparing dollars and cents.
👩🏫 Teacher note
Have students line up the decimal points and compare place by place, adding a trailing zero when needed (0.5 = 0.50). This kills the 'longer means bigger' misconception.
🏠 Parent note
Line up the decimal points. Compare the tenths first, then the hundredths — just like comparing money.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Thinking a longer decimal is always greater (0.45 > 0.5)
- Ignoring place value and comparing digit strings like whole numbers
Answer Key
Each answer shows the correct symbol (<, >, or =).
⬇ Download Answer Key (PDF)Related Worksheets
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