GED Math Practice Test

When calculating the total sum from individual parts, what operation would you use?

1. Subtraction

2. Multiplication

3. Addition

4. Division

The correct answer is: Subtraction

To calculate the total sum from individual parts, the appropriate operation is addition. When you are trying to find the overall total, you combine all the individual values together, which is precisely what addition allows you to do. For example, if you have several numbers representing parts of a whole (like different expenses or amounts), adding them together provides you with the total sum. This principle applies broadly, whether you're dealing with small numbers or larger quantities. In contrast, subtraction is used to find the difference between two numbers, multiplication combines quantities in a way that groups them together, often used for scaling, and division splits a quantity into smaller parts. Therefore, while these operations have their specific purposes, addition is the operation that gives you the total sum from individual parts.