Solution - Long subtraction
Step-by-step explanation
1. Rewrite the numbers from top to bottom, aligned by their place values
| Place value | thousands | hundreds | tens | ones | . | tenths | hundredths |
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||
| - | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | . | 2 | 3 |
| . |
Put zeros in the blank number places:
| Place value | thousands | hundreds | tens | ones | . | tenths | hundredths |
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | . | 0 | 0 | |
| - | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | . | 2 | 3 |
| . |
2. Subtract the numbers using long subtraction method
Because the upper digit (0) in the hundredths column is too small to get a positive difference, borrow 1 from the number to the left (4.0) which becomes (3.9) and get (10).
| Place value | thousands | hundreds | tens | ones | . | tenths | hundredths |
| 3 | 9 | 10 | |||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | . | 0 | 0 | |
| - | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | . | 2 | 3 |
| . |
Subtract the numbers in the hundredths column from the top number:
10-0-3=7
| Place value | thousands | hundreds | tens | ones | . | tenths | hundredths |
| 3 | 9 | 10 | |||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | . | 0 | 0 | |
| - | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | . | 2 | 3 |
| . | 7 |
Subtract the numbers in the tenths column from the top number:
9-2=7
| Place value | thousands | hundreds | tens | ones | . | tenths | hundredths |
| 3 | 9 | 10 | |||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | . | 0 | 0 | |
| - | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | . | 2 | 3 |
| . | 7 | 7 |
Subtract the numbers in the ones column from the top number:
3-1=2
| Place value | thousands | hundreds | tens | ones | . | tenths | hundredths |
| 3 | 9 | 10 | |||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | . | 0 | 0 | |
| - | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | . | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | . | 7 | 7 |
Subtract the numbers in the tens column from the top number:
2-2=0
| Place value | thousands | hundreds | tens | ones | . | tenths | hundredths |
| 3 | 9 | 10 | |||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | . | 0 | 0 | |
| - | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | . | 2 | 3 |
| 0 | 2 | . | 7 | 7 |
Because the upper digit (1) in the hundreds column is too small to get a positive difference, borrow 1 from the digit (2) in the next number place which becomes (1) and get (11).
| Place value | thousands | hundreds | tens | ones | . | tenths | hundredths |
| 1 | 11 | ||||||
| 3 | 9 | 10 | |||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | . | 0 | 0 | |
| - | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | . | 2 | 3 |
| 0 | 2 | . | 7 | 7 |
Subtract the numbers in the hundreds column from the top number:
11-5=6
| Place value | thousands | hundreds | tens | ones | . | tenths | hundredths |
| 1 | 11 | ||||||
| 3 | 9 | 10 | |||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | . | 0 | 0 | |
| - | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | . | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | 0 | 2 | . | 7 | 7 |
Subtract the numbers in the thousands column from the top number:
1-1=0
| Place value | thousands | hundreds | tens | ones | . | tenths | hundredths |
| 1 | 11 | ||||||
| 3 | 9 | 10 | |||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | . | 0 | 0 | |
| - | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | . | 2 | 3 |
| 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | . | 7 | 7 |
The solution is: 602.77
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