Nolan did the following work to solve the problem -14.52 + 7.3.

Question

14.52

- 7.3

7.22

So, 14.52 - 7.3 = 7.22

Which of the statements is true about his work and answer?

His answer is incorrect, because the answer should be negative.
His answer is correct.
His answer is incorrect, because he should have added the numbers instead of subtracted.
His answer is incorrect, because he didn't line up the decimals.

Answer 1

Nolan is trying to solve the problem \(-14.52 + 7.3\). He mistakenly performed subtraction instead of addition. Let’s analyze his work:

1. Nolan's operation: He wrote \(14.52 - 7.3\) instead of performing the addition of \(-14.52 + 7.3\).

2. The correct operation: To solve \(-14.52 + 7.3\), you would indeed subtract, but since \(-14.52\) is a negative number, the operation consists of adding a negative:

   \[ -14.52 + 7.3 = 7.3 - 14.52 = -7.22 \]

   So, the correct answer should actually be \(-7.22\).

3. Evaluation of his answer: His operations led to getting \(7.22\) as a result, which is incorrect for the original expression he was evaluating.

Given these points, the true statement about Nolan's work and answer is:

His answer is incorrect, because he should have added the numbers instead of subtracted.

While he performed the subtraction correctly, it was the wrong operation to apply for the problem at hand. Therefore, the correct answer choice is the third one.