Difference between 0.86 and 0.4529

Vertically align numbers with Larger Number on top:
0 . 8 6 0 0
0 . 4 5 2 9

Subtract using place value:

Ones Tenths Hundredths Thousandths Ten Thousandths
9
5 10 10
0.86 0 . 8 6 0 0
0.4529 0 . 4 5 2 9
Difference 0 . 4 0 7 1
Column traversal from right to left
Ten Thousandths column:
  • Since 0 is less than 9, we have to borrow 1 from the Thousandths column
  • As a result, 0 becomes 10, and 10 − 9 = 1
  • The 0 in the Thousandths column becomes 9 after borrowing 1 from its regrouped value of 10

Thousandths column:

  • 9 − 2 = 7
  • Because it was the first nonzero digit to the left of the 0 in the Ten Thousandths column, the 6 in the Hundredths column became 5 after 1 was borrowed for the purpose of regrouping the 0 in the Thousandths column (borrowing across a 0)

Hundredths column:

  • 5 − 5 = 0

Tenths column:

  • 8 − 4 = 4

Ones column:

  • 0 − 0 = 0
9
5 10 10
0 . 8 6 0 0
0 . 4 5 2 9
0 . 4 0 7 1
Therefore, the Difference between 0.86 and 0.4529 is 0.4071

Check computation by comparing Larger Number and the Sum of Smaller Number and Difference:

1 1
0 . 4 5 2 9
0 . 4 0 7 1
0 . 8 6 0 0

Sum of Smaller Number and Difference = 0.86 (trailing zeros are dropped)
Sum of Smaller Number and Difference = Larger Number (0.86 = 0.86) ✓

The solution above and other related solutions were provided by the Difference Between Two Numbers Application.

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