Question

Use additive inverse to find 8.76 - 26.54

Answer 1

To find \( 8.76 - 26.54 \) using the concept of the additive inverse, we can rewrite the subtraction as an addition by adding the additive inverse of \( 26.54 \).

1. First, identify the additive inverse of \( 26.54 \), which is \( -26.54 \).
2. Rewrite the expression:
\[
8.76 - 26.54 = 8.76 + (-26.54)
\]

3. Now, perform the addition:
\[
8.76 + (-26.54) = 8.76 - 26.54
\]

We can calculate this step-by-step:

- Align the numbers:
\[
8.76
- 26.54
\]

Starting from the right:
- For the hundredths place: \( 6 - 4 = 2 \)
- For the tenths place: \( 7 - 5 = 2 \)
- For the ones place: \( 8 - 6 = 2 \)
- For the tens place, since we can't subtract \( 2 \) from \( 2 \), we need to borrow. The \( 8 \) (which is actually \( 0 \) after borrowing) will become \( 12 \), and we will have:
\[
12 - 2 = 10
\]

Thus, combining everything, we get:
\[
8.76 - 26.54 = -17.78
\]

So the final answer is:
\[
\boxed{-17.78}
\]