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Lesson 2 of 13

The biggest and smallest number you can make

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6 min

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Four digit cards: 5, 0, 8, 2. Which order makes the biggest number? Which makes the smallest?

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Start with 5, 0, 8, 2.
Step 1 of 5
  1. Start with 5, 0, 8, 2.
  2. Sort big to small: 8520. Biggest!
  3. Sort small to big: 0258 — can't start with 0.
  4. Swap the 0 with the next digit, 2: 2058.
  5. Biggest 8520. Smallest 2058.

The rule

The biggest number is 8520. The smallest is 2058.

For the biggest number, put the biggest digit first. Then put the rest from biggest to smallest. The first place is worth the most. So the biggest digit goes there.

For the smallest number, a number cannot start with 0. 0258 is really 258. That is a 3-digit number. Put the smallest digit that is not 0 first. Then put the rest from smallest to biggest.

Example

Digits 4, 0, 0, 7. For the biggest: 7, then 4, then 0, 0. That gives 7400. For the smallest: the smallest digit that is not 0 is 4. Then 0, 0, 7. That gives 4007.

Try the lab to finish this lesson.