Hundreds, tens and ones

A three-digit number has three places. In 362, the 3 is in the hundreds place, so it means 300. The 6 is in the tens place, so it means 60. The 2 is in the ones place, so it means 2.

Ten ones make a ten, and ten tens make a hundred. A flat square of 100 small cubes is the same as ten rods of ten. A zero holds a place when there is nothing there: 407 has 4 hundreds, no tens and 7 ones.