Calculate the Sum: Adding £42.50 and £32.40 in British Currency

Decimal Addition with British Currency

A grandfather gives one grandson

£42.5 \pounds42.5 and another grandson £32.4 \pounds32.4 .

How much does the grandfather give to his two grandsons in total?

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 Solution
00:04 We will use long addition for calculation
00:14 Each time we'll add, calculate and substitute accordingly
00:33 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

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1

Understand the problem

A grandfather gives one grandson

£42.5 \pounds42.5 and another grandson £32.4 \pounds32.4 .

How much does the grandfather give to his two grandsons in total?

2

Step-by-step solution

In order to determine how much money the grandfather gave to the two grandchildren, we will add the money he gave to each one:

42.5+32.4 42.5\\+32.4

We will add from right to left as follows:

74.9 74.9

3

Final Answer

£74.9 \pounds74.9

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Rule: Align decimal points vertically when adding decimal numbers
  • Technique: Add from right to left: 42.5 + 32.4 = 74.9
  • Check: Verify by adding in reverse order: 32.4 + 42.5 = 74.9 ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Forgetting to align decimal points properly
    Don't just line up the numbers without considering decimal placement = wrong totals! When decimals aren't aligned, you add tenths to ones or hundredths to tenths, creating incorrect sums. Always align decimal points vertically before adding.

Practice Quiz

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Which decimal number is greater?

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why does £42.5 become £42.50 when I write it out?

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In currency, £42.5 means £42.50! The extra zero in the hundredths place makes it clearer that we're working with pounds and pence. Both represent the same amount of money.

Do I need to include the pound sign in my calculations?

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No! When calculating, focus on the numbers only: 42.5 + 32.4 = 74.9. Then add the £ symbol to your final answer to show it's British currency.

What if I get confused about which numbers to add?

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Look for key words like 'total', 'altogether', or 'in sum'. These tell you to add the amounts together. In this problem, we want the total money given to both grandsons.

How can I check my decimal addition is correct?

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Try these methods:

  • Add the numbers in reverse order
  • Use a calculator to verify
  • Round to whole numbers and check if your answer makes sense

Why is £74.9 the same as £74.90?

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Both represent 74 pounds and 90 pence! In money, we can write £74.9 or £74.90 - they're exactly the same amount. The trailing zero doesn't change the value.

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