Vertically align numbers with Larger Number on top:
| 2 | 9 | . | 8 | 0 | |
| − | 5 | . | 7 | 3 |
Subtract using place value:
| Tens | Ones | Tenths | Hundredths | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 10 | ||||
| 29.8 | 2 | 9 | . | 8 | 0 |
| 5.73 | 5 | . | 7 | 3 | |
| Difference | 2 | 4 | . | 0 | 7 |
Column traversal from right to left
Hundredths column:
Hundredths column:
- Since 0 is less than 3, we have to borrow 1 from the Tenths column
- As a result, 0 becomes 10, and 10 − 3 = 7
- The 8 in the Tenths column becomes 7
Tenths column:
- 7 − 7 = 0
Ones column:
- 9 − 5 = 4
Tens column:
- 2 − 0 = 2
| 7 | 10 | ||||
| 2 | 9 | . | 8 | 0 | |
| − | 5 | . | 7 | 3 | |
| 2 | 4 | . | 0 | 7 |
Therefore, the Difference between 29.8 and 5.73 is 24.07
Check computation by comparing Larger Number and the Sum of Difference and Smaller Number:
| 1 | |||||
| 2 | 4 | . | 0 | 7 | |
| 5 | . | 7 | 3 | ||
| 2 | 9 | . | 8 | 0 |
Sum of Difference and Smaller Number = 29.8 (trailing zero is dropped)
Sum of Difference and Smaller Number = Larger Number (29.8 = 29.8) ✓
