Which context describes a difference of rational numbers?
Application of Subtracting Rational Numbers Quick Check
1. Which context describes a difference of rational numbers?
-- comparing the daily high temperature and low temperature
2. Which scenario about books represents finding the difference?
-- finding the number of books remaining after a sale on books
3. The temperature on Monday is −4°C. On Tuesday, it is 13° colder. What is the temperature on Tuesday?
-- −17°C
4. Ping dove off a 10 meter platform. He reached a depth of 6 meters in the water. What was the change in height?
-- 16 meters
5. A parasail is 120 of a meter above the water. Then, after 10 minutes, the parasail is 150
of a meter above the water. What is the change in height?
-- 3/100 meter
Taken September 2023
A difference of rational numbers refers to the arithmetic operation of subtracting one rational number from another. It involves finding the numerical difference between two rational numbers.
A difference of rational numbers refers to subtracting one rational number from another. In other words, it is the result of a subtraction operation where the numbers involved are rational numbers.
To understand the difference between rational numbers, we need to know what rational numbers are. Rational numbers are any numbers that can be expressed as a fraction of two integers, where the denominator is not zero. Positive and negative whole numbers, decimals, and fractions are all examples of rational numbers.
Now, to find the difference between rational numbers, we simply subtract one rational number from another. For example, let's consider the rational numbers 3/4 and 1/2.
To find the difference, we subtract the second rational number from the first:
3/4 - 1/2
To subtract fractions, we need to have a common denominator. In this case, the common denominator is 4. We can rewrite 1/2 as 2/4:
3/4 - 2/4
Now, we subtract the numerators and keep the denominator the same:
(3 - 2) / 4 = 1/4
Therefore, the difference between 3/4 and 1/2 is 1/4.