Question

Find the sum or difference. (p. 750)

$27.1-18.6$

Short answer

The difference of the numbers is $8.5$.

Step-by-step solution

Step-1 – Apply the concept of subtraction

Two numbers with opposite signs get subtracted and the resulting number carries the sign of the larger number. So, if the sign of larger number is positive, then the sign of the resulting difference will be positive as well. And if the sign of the larger number is negative, then the sign of the resulting difference will be negative as well.

Step-2 – Example for the subtraction

The difference of the numbers$7-3=4$ is positive because the larger number is positive as well.

And the difference of the numbers $3-7=-4$ is negative because the larger number is negative as well.

Step-3 – Calculate the difference of given numbers

The number 27.1 is positive and the number 18.6 is with negative sign in front of this. So, the resulting difference will be positive, as the larger number is positive.

The difference of the numbers can be computed as shown below,

$27.1-18.6=8.5$

Thus, the difference of the given numbers is $8.5$.