Subtracting Decimals - Keeping It Simple! - Free Printable

Let’s solve each subtraction problem step by step.

---

First Problem: 8.5 – 6.23

Step 1: Line up the decimals.
We can write 8.5 as 8.50 so both numbers have two decimal places.

```
8.50
- 6.23
-------
```

Step 2: Subtract starting from the rightmost digit.

- Hundredths place: 0 – 3 → Can’t do, so borrow from tenths.
- Tenths becomes 4, hundredths becomes 10.
- 10 – 3 = 7

- Tenths place: 4 – 2 = 2

- Ones place: 8 – 6 = 2

So we get:

```
8.50
- 6.23
-------
2.27
```

✔ Correct answer: 2.27

---

Second Problem: 7.5 – 4.368

Step 1: Line up the decimals.
Write 7.5 as 7.500 to match three decimal places.

```
7.500
- 4.368
--------
```

Step 2: Subtract from right to left.

- Thousandths: 0 – 8 → Can’t do, borrow from hundredths.
- Hundredths is 0, so keep borrowing from tenths.
- Tenths is 5 → becomes 4, hundredths becomes 9 (after borrowing), thousandths becomes 10.
- Now: 10 – 8 = 2

- Hundredths: 9 – 6 = 3

- Tenths: 4 – 3 = 1

- Ones: 7 – 4 = 3

So:

```
7.500
- 4.368
--------
3.132
```

Wait — that gives 3.132, but the image shows 3.312. That’s wrong!

Let me double-check:

Actually, let’s redo carefully:

Start with:

```
7.500
- 4.368
--------
```

Thousandths: 0 – 8 → borrow needed.

Look at hundredths: it’s 0 → borrow from tenths.

Tenths is 5 → reduce to 4, hundredths becomes 10 → now lend to thousandths → hundredths becomes 9, thousandths becomes 10.

Now:

Thousandths: 10 – 8 = 2
Hundredths: 9 – 6 = 3
Tenths: 4 – 3 = 1
Ones: 7 – 4 = 3

Result: 3.132

But the image says 3.312 — that’s incorrect.

Wait — maybe I misread? Let me check again.

Image shows:

```
7.5
- 4.368
-------
3.312
```

That must be a mistake in the image.

Let me calculate numerically:

7.5 minus 4.368:

7.500
–4.368
= ?

Do 7.500 – 4.000 = 3.500
Then 3.500 – 0.368 = ?

3.500 – 0.300 = 3.200
3.200 – 0.068 = 3.132

Yes — correct answer is 3.132

The image has an error — it wrote 3.312 instead of 3.132.

But since the user might expect us to follow what’s shown... wait no — our job is to solve accurately.

So final answers should be:

First: 2.27 ✔
Second: 3.132 ✘ (image says 3.312 — which is wrong)

But perhaps I made a mistake?

Wait — let me use another method.

Convert to fractions:

7.5 = 75/10 = 15/2
4.368 = 4368/1000 = 546/125

Better to use decimals.

7.500
–4.368
------
Start from right:

0 – 8 → borrow → 10 – 8 = 2
Next column was 0, became 9 after lending → 9 – 6 = 3
Next was 5, became 4 → 4 – 3 = 1
7 – 4 = 3

Still 3.132.

Alternatively, add 3.132 + 4.368 = ?

3.132 + 4.368 = 7.500 → yes! Correct.

If you add 3.312 + 4.368 = 7.680 → not 7.5 → so definitely wrong.

Therefore, the second answer in the image is incorrect.

But since the instruction is to “solve the problem accurately”, we must give the correct math.

However — looking back at the original request: “You are an educational assistant helping a student solve homework problems.” And the image shows those answers boxed.

Possibility: Maybe the student is supposed to verify or correct? But the prompt doesn't say that.

Re-read user message: “Solve the problem accurately.”

And rules: “Do not describe the image. Do not mention that the task came from an image.”

So we just present the correct solutions for the subtractions shown.

Thus:

For 8.5 – 6.23 = 2.27
For 7.5 – 4.368 = 3.132

Even though the image boxes 3.312, we know it's wrong.

But wait — could there be a typo in how I read the image?

Looking again: The image writes:

Right side:

```
7.5
- 4.368
-------
3.312
```

Is it possible they meant 7.500 – 4.188 or something? No.

Perhaps they did:

7.5 – 4.368

They might have done:

7.5 – 4 = 3.5
Then 3.5 – 0.368 = ?

3.5 – 0.3 = 3.2
3.2 – 0.06 = 3.14
3.14 – 0.008 = 3.132

Same result.

Maybe they subtracted wrong digits.

Another idea: Did they align incorrectly?

Suppose someone did:

7.5
- 4.368
But aligned as:

7.5
-4.368
------
.132 ← missing whole number?

No.

Or maybe they thought 7.5 is 7.500 and did:

Thousandths: 0–8 → borrow → 10–8=2
Hundredths: 0 became 10, lent 1 → 9, 9–6=3
Tenths: 5 became 4, 4–3=1
Ones: 7–4=3 → 3.132

I think the image has a typo.

As an accurate solver, I must report 3.132.

But let me confirm once more with calculator-style:

7.5 minus 4.368:

7.500
–4.368
======
3.132

Yes.

So final answers:

First: 2.27
Second: 3.132

Since the options ExplainAnswer, TeachTopic, GeneratePractice are all false, we only provide Final Answer.

Final Answer:
2.27 and 3.132