Certainly! Let's determine how much Cory will owe after using his gift certificate.
1. Starting Point:
- Cory buys an item that costs [tex]\( \$ 36.79 \)[/tex].
2. Gift Certificate:
- He uses a gift certificate that has a balance of [tex]\( \$ 17.94 \)[/tex].
3. Expression to Use:
- To find the amount Cory owes, we need to subtract the balance of the gift certificate from the cost of the item. This can be represented with the expression [tex]\( 36.79 + (-17.94) \)[/tex].
4. Breaking Down the Calculation:
- First, identify the signs:
- [tex]\( 36.79 \)[/tex] is positive.
- [tex]\( -17.94 \)[/tex] is negative.
- To combine these, essentially, we are performing a subtraction because adding a negative number is equivalent to subtracting the positive equivalent.
5. Perform the Arithmetic:
- [tex]\( 36.79 - 17.94 \)[/tex]
- Calculate step-by-step:
- Subtract the cents portion: [tex]\( 79 \text{ cents} - 94 \text{ cents} = -15 \text{ cents} \)[/tex]
- We need to borrow from the dollars:
- [tex]\( 36 \text{ dollars} - 1 \text{ dollar} = 35 \text{ dollars} \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( 100 \text{ cents} - 15 \text{ cents} = 85 \text{ cents} \)[/tex]
- Subtract the remaining whole numbers: [tex]\( 35 + 0.85 = 35.85 \)[/tex]
6. Simplifying:
- Corrected value for illustrative purposes: [tex]\( 36.79 - 17.94 \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( 36.79 - 17.94 = 18.85 \)[/tex].
So, Cory will owe exactly [tex]\( \$ 18.85 \)[/tex].
Therefore, the correct answer is:
B. [tex]$\$[/tex] 18.85$
