Question

You have $20 in your bank account. You are out shopping at a video store with a

friend, and see a DVD you want, but it costs $32. You decide to buy it even though
you know there's not enough money in your account. What is your account balance
after you buy the DVD? (do not put a dollar sign)

Answer 1

This problem is a simple matter of subtraction.
We know our starting balance, which is 20. If we are buying something with our money, we are subtracting the amount we spend from the amount we have. If we're buying a DVD that costs 32 dollars, we subtract 32 from our starting balance, which is 20.

20 - 32 = -12

So, your account balance after you buy the DVD is -12. This means you are twelve dollars in debt.