Final answer:
To eliminate the decimals in the equation -m + 0.02 + 2.1m = -1.45 - 4.81m, multiply each term by 100. This will transform the decimal coefficients into integers, simplifying the process of solving the equation.
Step-by-step explanation:
To eliminate the decimals in the equation -m + 0.02 + 2.1m = -1.45 - 4.81m, we should look for a number that can be multiplied to each term so that all decimals are cleared. The smallest such number here is 100, since moving the decimal place two positions to the right will turn all the decimal numbers into whole numbers. So, the equation would become:
-100m + 2 + 210m = -145 - 481m.
This step makes it easier to go on with other algebraic operations to solve the equation without worrying about decimal places.