1Cademy - Example of Evaluating $$-5.123

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Procedure for Adding or Subtracting Decimals

Example

Example of Evaluating $-5.123 - 18.47$

To evaluate the expression $-5.123 - 18.47$ , first determine the sign. Since both numbers are negative, the final difference will be negative, and the operation is equivalent to adding their numerals ( $5.123 + 18.47$ ). Write the numbers with vertically aligned decimal points, appending a placeholder zero so $18.47$ becomes $18.470$ . Add the numbers as if they were whole numbers ( $5.123 + 18.470 = 23.593$ ). Finally, place the decimal point in the sum and write the result with a negative sign. Therefore, $-5.123 - 18.47 = -23.593$ .

Updated 2026-04-21

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OpenStax Intermediate Algebra

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