# Subtracting Decimals – Definition With Examples

Ben buys groceries for $\$$155.50. He hands the store clerk \$$500 and, in turn, gets$\$$344.50 back. Without the knowledge of decimals, knowing the exact amount he needed to pay for the groceries wouldn’t have been possible. Decimal numbers are numbers that have a decimal point in them. They have two parts: the first is the whole number (to the left of the decimal point), and the second is the fractional part (to the right of the decimal point). For example, Sam buys oranges for \$$3.50. Here,

### 2Subtracting decimal number 1.33 from which number will give you 6.67 as the answer?

1.37
6.05
8
7.15
CorrectIncorrect
Correct answer is: 1.37
To find the answer, you can add the other decimal number with the result.
Hence, the missing decimal number is 8.

### 3Subtracting decimal number 79.98 from 298.20, gives the answer 216.30. Is the statement true or false? Explain.

True
False
CorrectIncorrect
Correct answer is: False
On subtracting decimal number 79.98 from 298.20, we get 218.22 and not 216.30

### 4Subtract 11.239 from 36.1.

16.2
24.861
21.6
18.22
CorrectIncorrect
Correct answer is: 24.861
First, we need to change decimal numbers to like-decimal numbers by adding zeros. So, 36.1 will be re-written as 36.100
Then:

## Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, by subtracting decimal numbers, you can get a whole number as the result. However, the digits after the decimal point must be the same for both the decimal numbers.

For example, if you subtract 1.25 from 4.25, the answer will be 3, which is a whole number.

To check if your answer after subtracting decimal numbers is correct, you can add the result with the smaller decimal number. If the answer is right, you will get the greater decimal number as the result.

For example, if you subtract 2.33 from 9.01, the answer you get is 6.68. Now, if you want to check your answer, add 6.68 to 2.33. The result you get is 9.01, which means the answer is correct.

Yes, the whole number can be rewritten as a decimal number by adding zeros after the decimal point. Then the process is the same as subtracting decimal numbers.