Decimal Subtraction: Solving 435.001 - 321.55 Step by Step

Circle the correct answer for the following exercise:

In order to avoid confusion when solving the exercise, add the digit 0 to the number 321.550 as follows:

$435.001\\-321.550\\$

Let's proceed to solve the exercise in order:

Subtract the thousands after the decimal point:

$1-0=1$

Subtract the hundreds after the decimal point:

$0-5=$

Given that we cannot subtract, we will instead borrow a ten from the hundreds digit of the whole number (note that the tenths digit after the decimal point is also 0)

Now the tenths digit after the decimal point is 10, we will borrow from it a ten as shown below:

$10-5=5$

Let's subtract the tenths after the decimal point, remembering that we borrowed a ten, therefore:

$10-1-5=4$

Finally, let's subtract the whole numbers before the decimal point accordingly.

Let's remember that we borrowed a ten from the hundreds digit, therefore:

$5-1-1=3$

$3-2=1$

$4-3=1$

And we obtain the following result:

$435.001\\-321.550\\113.451$