What should be subtracted from 498.30 to get 281.039?

Options

A. `217.2 `
B. ` 217.26`
C. ` 217.261`
D. `217.621`

Answer

To find out what should be subtracted from 498.30 to get 281.039, we can set up the equation:

Let \( x \) be the number we need to subtract. The equation can be written as:

\[ 498.30 - x = 281.039 \]

Now, we can solve for \( x \):

1. **Rearranging the equation**: To isolate \( x \), we can add \( x \) to both sides and subtract \( 281.039 \) from both sides. This gives us:

\[ 498.30 - 281.039 = x \]

2. **Performing the subtraction**: Now, we need to calculate \( 498.30 - 281.039 \). To do this, we can align the numbers by their decimal points:

```
498.300
-281.039
```

We can add a zero to the end of 498.30 to make it easier to subtract.

3. **Subtracting step by step**:
- Start from the rightmost column (thousandths):
- \( 0 - 9 \): Since we cannot subtract 9 from 0, we need to borrow from the next column. So, we take 1 from the 3 in the tenths place, making it 2, and we add 10 to the 0, making it 10.
- Now, \( 10 - 9 = 1 \).
- Move to the hundredths column:
- \( 2 - 3 \): Again, we cannot subtract 3 from 2, so we borrow from the next column. The 8 becomes 7, and the 2 becomes 12.
- Now, \( 12 - 3 = 9 \).
- Move to the tenths column:
- \( 7 - 0 = 7 \).
- Move to the units column:
- \( 8 - 1 = 7 \).
- Move to the hundreds column:
- \( 4 - 2 = 2 \).

4. **Putting it all together**: After performing the subtraction, we get:

```
498.300
-281.039
---------
217.261
```

Thus, the value of \( x \) that should be subtracted from 498.30 to get 281.039 is:

**Final Answer**: \( 217.261 \)

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