Question

Estimate the decimal expression -0.54 + (-0.8720).

a) -1.412
b) -0.4136
c) -1.42
d) -0.4

Answer 1

To estimate the sum of -0.54 and -0.8720, round each to one decimal place (-0.5 and -0.9, respectively) and add them to get -1.4. So, the closest estimate is -1.42 (option c). The correct option is c.

Step-by-step explanation:

To estimate the decimal expression -0.54 + (-0.8720), we add the two negative numbers together.

First, we can round the numbers to one decimal place to make the mental calculation easier:
-0.54 becomes -0.5
-0.8720 becomes -0.9

Now, we can add these rounded values together:
-0.5 + (-0.9) = -1.4

Therefore, the closest estimate from the given options is -1.42, which is option (c). The correct option is c.