Kelly subtracted 2.3 from 20 and got 17.7. Explain why this answer is reasonable

well if I took 2 from 20 it would be 18 so if I took a little more away it would be a little less than 18

To understand why Kelly's answer is reasonable, we need to evaluate the subtraction process she used.

Kelly started with the number 20 and subtracted 2.3. When subtracting, we take away a certain value from another value. In this case, Kelly took away 2.3 from 20.

Now, let's calculate this subtraction to verify her answer.

Starting with 20:
20 - 2.3 = 17.7

So, Kelly arrived at the answer 17.7.

To determine if her answer is reasonable, we can consider the magnitude of the numbers involved.

The number 20 is relatively larger than 2.3, suggesting that subtracting a smaller value from a larger value would result in a smaller outcome. Therefore, obtaining an answer of 17.7 seems reasonable in this context.

Additionally, we can verify the answer by performing the addition in reverse:

17.7 + 2.3 = 20

By adding 2.3 back to 17.7, we return to the original number 20, which confirms the accuracy of the subtraction.

Thus, based on the calculation and the relative magnitudes of the numbers involved, it is reasonable to conclude that Kelly's answer of 17.7 is correct.