Use properties of rational numbers to simplify the expression.

(23 - 12.13) - (166.4 + 2)

1 answer

To simplify the expression \((23 - 12.13) - (166.4 + 2)\), we will first perform the operations inside the parentheses and then simplify the overall expression.

  1. Start with \((23 - 12.13)\): \[ 23 - 12.13 = 10.87 \]

  2. Next, simplify \((166.4 + 2)\): \[ 166.4 + 2 = 168.4 \]

  3. Now substitute these results back into the main expression: \[ (23 - 12.13) - (166.4 + 2) = 10.87 - 168.4 \]

  4. Now calculate \(10.87 - 168.4\): To perform the subtraction, we can convert \(10.87\) to a form with matching decimal places: \[ 10.87 - 168.40 = 10.87 - 168.40 = -157.53 \]

So, the simplified expression is: \[ \boxed{-157.53} \]