Question

To align decimal points in a decimal addition problem, annex
zeros to write
so that all addends
have the same number of decimal places.

Answer 1

To align decimal points in a decimal addition problem, follow these steps:

1. **Identify the numbers**: Look at the numbers you want to add together. For example, consider the numbers 3.2, 4.56, and 1.789.

2. **Determine the maximum number of decimal places**: Check how many decimal places each number has. In this case:
- 3.2 has 1 decimal place.
- 4.56 has 2 decimal places.
- 1.789 has 3 decimal places.

The maximum number of decimal places is 3 (from 1.789).

3. **Annex zeros as needed**: Adjust each number so that they all have the same number of decimal places (in this case, 3):
- 3.2 becomes 3.200
- 4.56 becomes 4.560
- 1.789 remains 1.789

4. **Align the decimal points**: Write the numbers down with their decimal points aligned:

```
3.200
+ 4.560
+ 1.789
```

5. **Perform the addition**: Now you can add the numbers as normal:

```
3.200
+ 4.560
+ 1.789
______________
9.549
```

Thus, the sum of 3.2, 4.56, and 1.789 is 9.549.