subtracting negative decimals
When subtracting negative decimals, you can follow the same rules as subtracting positive decimals. Here's a step-by-step guide:
1. Write down the first negative decimal.
2. Change the subtraction symbol to addition.
3. Write down the second negative decimal preceded by a positive sign.
4. Line up the decimal points of the two decimals.
5. Subtract as normal, disregarding the signs.
6. The result will have the same sign as the larger absolute value.
Let's look at an example:
-3.25 - (-1.75)
1. Write down -3.25
2. Change subtraction to addition.
3. Write down +1.75
4. Line up the decimal points: -3.25 + 1.75
5. Subtract: 3.25 - 1.75 = 1.50
6. The larger absolute value is -3.25, so the result will have a negative sign.
Therefore, -3.25 - (-1.75) = -1.50
Subtracting negative decimals is similar to subtracting positive decimals, but with an additional step. Here's a step-by-step process to subtract negative decimals:
Step 1: Write down the subtraction problem.
For example, let's subtract -2.5 from -1.8.
Step 2: Rewrite the problem as addition.
Since subtracting a negative is the same as adding a positive, rewrite the problem using addition. So, -1.8 - (-2.5) becomes -1.8 + 2.5.
Step 3: Add the decimals.
Start by adding the numbers to the right of the decimal point first. Align the decimal points and add the digits just like you would with two positive decimals. In this case, 8 + 5 equals 13.
Step 4: Carry over the digit.
Since 13 cannot be written as a single digit, carry over the 1 to the next column, the tens column.
Step 5: Add the digits to the left of the decimal point.
Add the digits to the left of the decimal point just like you would with two positive numbers. In this case, -1 + 2 equals 1, and since the larger number is negative, the result is negative.
Step 6: Combine the results.
Write the result of the addition from Step 3 and Step 5 together. In this case, the result is 1.3.
Therefore, -1.8 - (-2.5) equals 1.3.