Sharmi compared 140.82 __ 15.4 and provided the explanation below. Explain what she did wrong and provide the correct solution and explanation.

15. 4 has fewer digits than 140.80 So, in order to line up the decimal points and fill place values with zeros,I must add two zeros to 15. 4 , giving me 150.4. Now, 140.82 has a 4 in the tens place, and has a 5 in the tens place. Since 4 is less than 5, the correct answer is

Question

Sharmi compared   140.82 __ 15.4 and provided the explanation below. Explain what she did wrong and provide the correct solution and explanation.

 15. 4 has fewer digits than  140.80  So, in order to line up the decimal points and fill place values with zeros,I must add two zeros to 15. 4 , giving me  150.4. Now, 140.82  has a 4 in the tens place, and  has a 5 in the tens place. Since 4 is less than 5, the correct answer is  < .