College

What is the sum of [tex]$-356.1 + 258.6$[/tex]?

A. [tex]$-614.7$[/tex]
B. [tex]$-97.5$[/tex]
C. [tex]$97.5$[/tex]
D. [tex]$614.7$[/tex]

Answer :

Certainly! Let's solve the problem step-by-step:

We are asked to find the sum of [tex]\(-356.1 + 258.6\)[/tex].

1. Understand the numbers: We have two numbers:
- [tex]\(-356.1\)[/tex] is a negative number.
- [tex]\(258.6\)[/tex] is a positive number.

2. Adding a Negative and a Positive Number:
- When you add a negative number to a positive number, you essentially subtract the smaller magnitude from the larger magnitude and keep the sign of the larger number.

3. Calculate the Magnitude:
- The magnitude of [tex]\(-356.1\)[/tex] is [tex]\(356.1\)[/tex].
- The magnitude of [tex]\(258.6\)[/tex] is [tex]\(258.6\)[/tex].

4. Subtract the Smaller Magnitude from the Larger:
- Subtract [tex]\(258.6\)[/tex] from [tex]\(356.1\)[/tex]:
[tex]\[
356.1 - 258.6 = 97.5
\][/tex]

5. Determine the Sign:
- Since the larger magnitude is from the negative number ([tex]\(-356.1\)[/tex]), the result carries a negative sign.

6. Final Result:
- Therefore, the sum of [tex]\(-356.1 + 258.6\)[/tex] is [tex]\(-97.5\)[/tex].

So, the correct answer is [tex]\(-97.5\)[/tex].