# Ordering whole numbers

When you have a series of large numbers that are not in number order, it is sometimes difficult to make sense of them.

Here is a table showing the daily profits of an online music store, written in order of days:

DayMonTuesWedsThursFriSatSun
Profit$\pounds{5,934}$$\pounds{7,656}$$\pounds{7,573}$$\pounds{8,678}$$\pounds{10,834}$$\pounds{14,976}$$\pounds{5,004}$

If these numbers were put into a place value table, it would be easier to arrange them in order.

Look at each column in turn.

The figures for Friday and Saturday will be the largest as these have figures in the tens of thousands column.

Looking at the thousands column shows that there is a $${4}$$ in the thousand column for Saturday and a $${0}$$ in the thousands column for Friday. Therefore Saturday has the largest number.

Here is the table written in order of amounts, starting with the greatest:

DaySatFriThursTuesWedsMonSun
Profit$\pounds{14,976}$$\pounds{10,834}$$\pounds{8,678}$$\pounds{7,656}$$\pounds{7,573}$$\pounds{5,934}$$\pounds{5,004}$