NCERT Revision Notes for Class 3 Maths Chapter 1: What’s in a Name? – Free PDF Download

Chapter 1 of Class 3 Maths, What’s in a Name?, opens the year by exploring how numbers are written, named, and represented, helping children revise and extend their number sense from Class 2 — including reading larger numbers, understanding place value, and expressing numbers in different ways.

Last Updated: September 23, 2026

Key Concepts

Number names: matching a numeral, like 234, with its written word form, “two hundred thirty-four”.

Place value: the value of a digit based on its position in a number — ones, tens, and hundreds place.

Expanded form: writing a number as the sum of its place values, such as 234 = 200 + 30 + 4.

Different ways to represent a number: a number can be shown using numerals, words, place value blocks, or on a number line — all showing the same value.

Comparing and ordering numbers: using place value to decide which of two or more numbers is greater, and arranging numbers in order.

Worked Examples

Example 1

Write the number name for 156. One hundred fifty-six.

Example 2

Write 342 in expanded form. 342 = 300 + 40 + 2.

Example 3

Which is greater: 245 or 254? Comparing place value, both have 2 hundreds, but 254 has 5 tens compared to 245’s 4 tens, so 254 is greater.

Quick Recap

• Every number has both a numeral form and a word (name) form.
• Place value tells us what a digit is worth based on its position — ones, tens, or hundreds.
• Expanded form breaks a number down into the sum of its place values.
• To compare numbers, compare the highest place value first, then move to smaller places if needed.
• The same number can be represented in several different but equally correct ways.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Writing the number name in the wrong order, such as mixing up tens and hundreds words.
• Comparing numbers by looking at the ones digit first instead of starting with the highest place value.
• Making errors in expanded form, like forgetting a placeholder zero for an empty place value.
• Confusing the value of a digit with the digit itself, such as thinking the “3” in 234 is just “3” instead of “30”.
• Losing track while converting between numeral, word, and expanded forms.

Home Practice Tips

• Practise writing a few numbers daily in numeral form, word form, and expanded form.
• Use place value blocks or bundles of ten to build three-digit numbers physically.
• Play a comparing game with number cards, asking which of two numbers is greater and why.
• Read numbers aloud from receipts, addresses, or price tags to practise number names in real life.
• Arrange a small set of number cards in ascending and descending order as a quick daily activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Why does the chapter focus on different ways to represent a number?
Understanding that a number can be shown as a numeral, in words, in expanded form, or with place value blocks helps build flexible and deep number sense rather than memorising just one form.

Q2. How do I compare two three-digit numbers correctly?
Start by comparing the hundreds digit; if they are equal, compare the tens digit, and if those are also equal, compare the ones digit.

Q3. What is expanded form and why is it useful?
Expanded form breaks a number into the sum of its place values, such as 342 = 300 + 40 + 2, which helps children clearly understand what each digit represents.

Q4. How can I help my child with number names for larger numbers?
Practise regularly with real numbers from daily life, like prices or page numbers, and break the number into hundreds, tens, and ones before naming each part.

Q5. How does this chapter set up the rest of the year in Class 3 Maths?
Strong number sense and place value understanding from this chapter are used throughout the year in addition, subtraction, and later chapters involving larger numbers.

Full walkthrough: Chapter 1 Solutions for step-by-step textbook answers.

Written by Satish

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