Understanding the different types of numbers is great way to learn more about math in general. Real numbers are the main type of numbers that elementary students learn, but there are imaginary numbers that are learned during higher grade levels. Although real numbers are the main type of numbers, there are five different types of real numbers. Making a diagram of these different types is a great way to understand the differences.
There are also irrational numbers which are not in the diagram above. They are kind of in their own circle. These numbers are nonrepeating decimals that do not terminate and have no pattern. An example of an irrational number is the square root of 2. This number does not come to an end (not terminating) and has no pattern. If you type the square root of 2 into a calculator you will get something like 1.414213562 and it continues on and on. Clearly, you can see that this is an irrational number.
Adding and subtracting decimals are very similar concepts. In order to add and subtract numbers you need to line up the decimals in the problem. An example of adding two decimal numbers is 1.2+2.4. If we line up the decimal numbers it will be 3.6. Subtracting two decimal numbers like 3.6-2.1 uses the same method. You need to line up the decimals and subtract the numbers; therefore, the answer is 1.5. Lining up the decimal numbers can be hard if the numbers are super long. A great way to eliminate this problem is by lining up your decimal numbers on graph paper. I think this is a great tip that may create less confusion!
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