Part 2/5:
Last year, in the midst of an engineering course final exam, the unexpected occurred: my calculator broke. Faced with the challenge of performing calculations manually, I realized the gap in my understanding of basic arithmetic operations. This experience ignited a desire to delve deeper into addition and subtraction, equipping both myself and others with skills that are not only essential for academic success but also helpful in everyday situations.
Understanding Addition: A Step-by-Step Approach
To illustrate basic addition, let's consider the example of adding two decimal numbers: 12.31 and 13.81.
Traditional Method
In high school math, the standard approach involves aligning the numbers by their decimal points:
12.31
+ 13.81
-------
26.12