Subtracting decimals
Subtracting decimals works exactly the same way as column subtraction of whole numbers or Integers are whole numbers..
When subtracting decimals remember to keep the decimal points in line with each other.
Example
Work out \(4 - 2.3\).
4 is the same as 4.0.
Question
David originally had \({2}~m\) of wood. He cut off \({1.62}~m\) in total. What is the length of the piece of wood that is left over?
You can add zeros after a decimal point without affecting its value, so \({2}\) is the same as \({2.00}\).
David cut off \({1.62}~m\), so we need to calculate \(2 - 1.62\)
This means that there is \({0.38}~m\) of wood left over.