thousandths

Thousandths are fractions of a unit equal to one thousandth, or 1/1000. In decimal notation, the thousandth place is the third digit to the right of the decimal point, following the tenths and hundredths places. For example, in 0.536, the digits indicate 5 tenths, 3 hundredths, and 6 thousandths, so the value contributed by the thousandths place is 0.006.

One thousandth equals 0.001, or 1 in 1000. In percentage terms, this is 0.1 percent. The SI prefix milli- denotes 10^-3, which appears in many common units such as millimeter (mm), milliliter (mL), and milligram (mg). The per mille notation, represented by the symbol ‰, expresses parts per thousand; 5 ‰ equals 0.005.

Thousandths are widely used in rounding, measurement, and scientific notation. When a value is given to the nearest thousandth, it is expressed to three decimal places; digits beyond the thousandth may be discarded or rounded. Fractions such as 7/1000 equal 0.007, while 1/2000 equals 0.0005, which is half a thousandth.

The term thousandth also has an ordinal form, thousandths. In everyday measurement and mathematics, understanding the thousandth place helps describe precise quantities and distinguish it from the tenths and hundredths.

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