Final Answer:
Mrs. Howell's equation is incorrect, and the mistake made is in the arithmetic calculation of the subtraction.
Step-by-step explanation:
Let's take a closer look at the equation Mrs. Howell put on the board:
16.007 - 0.55 = 10.507
To determine if Mrs. Howell is correct or incorrect, we will perform the subtraction to see if the left side of the equation equals the right side.
When subtracting decimals, it is important to align the decimal points one under the other. Here's how we can set up the calculation:
16.007
- 0.55
To perform the subtraction effectively, we can write the second number (0.55) as 0.550, adding a zero in the thousandths place. This allows us to line up the decimal digits correctly.
Now the calculation is:
16.007
- 0.550
Subtracting the numbers column by column from right to left, we start with the thousandths place:
7 (thousandths) - 0 (thousandths) = 7 (thousandths)
0 (hundredths) - 5 (hundredths) = -5, which is not possible, so we need to borrow 1 (which is equivalent to 0.1 or 10 hundredths) from the tenths place.
This makes the hundredths place 10 - 5 = 5 (hundredths).
Now, we must remember that we borrowed 1 from the tenths place, so we now have:
0 (tenths) - 1 (borrowed) - 5 (tenths) = -6, which again is not possible, so we need to borrow 1 (which is equivalent to 1 or 10 tenths) from the units place. The subtraction in the tenths place now is 10 - 1 - 5 = 4 (tenths).
Finally, subtracting the units place:
6 (units) - 0 (units) - 1 (borrowed) = 5 (units).
Putting it all together, the subtraction is:
16.007
- 0.550
---------
15.457
Therefore, the correct result of the subtraction 16.007 - 0.55 is 15.457 and not 10.507.
Complete question:
Mrs.howell put this equation on the board is she correct or incorrect?if she is incorrect what mistake did she make? Equation:16.007-0.55=10.507