what's 6.38 - 47 and how do you get the answer

Answer 1

To solve \( 6.38 - 47 \), you can follow these steps:

1. Rewrite the numbers: It's often easier to perform the operation if the numbers are expressed in a way that makes them comparable. Here, we can think of \( 6.38 \) in relation to \( 47 \).

2. Align the decimal points: \[ \begin{array}{r} 6.38 \

   • 47.00 \ \hline \end{array} \]

3. Convert \( 47 \) to \( 47.00 \) so that both numbers have two decimal places, which helps in aligning them.

4. Perform the subtraction:

   • Start from the rightmost column (hundredths) and move left.
   • In the hundredths place, you have \( 8 - 0 = 8 \).
   • In the tenths place, you have \( 3 - 0 = 3 \).
   • In the units' place, you need to subtract \( 47 \) from \( 6 \), which requires borrowing because 6 is less than 47:
     • Borrow \( 1 \) from the \( 6 \), making it \( 16 \) (in the units' place), and giving \( 3 \) in the tenths place instead of \( 4 \).
     • Now you can subtract: \( 16 - 47 = -31 \).

5. Combine results from the subtraction: \[ 6.38 - 47 = -40.62 \]

So, the answer is \( -40.62 \).