A difference of rational numbers is represented by the operation of subtraction between two rational numbers. For example, consider the context of measuring distances.
Imagine you have two distances: you ran 3.5 miles in the morning and then walked 2.1 miles in the evening. To find out how much farther you ran than you walked, you would calculate the difference of these two rational numbers:
\[ 3.5 - 2.1 = 1.4 \]
In this scenario, the difference of rational numbers helps you understand the net distance you covered beyond what you walked—an application of the subtraction of rational numbers.
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