It is much easier sometimes to write the numbers in column form. That is:
color(white)(2)1. color(white)(2)2color(white)(2)4
color(white)(2)5. color(white)(2)3color(white)(2) 6
color(white)(2)ul(2. color(white)(2)4color(white)(2)2) larr" add up the columns"
color(white)(2)ul(color(white)(2" "))
color(blue)("'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~")
color(blue)("Step 1: add up the rightmost column")
4+6+2=12 -> color(red)(1)color(blue)(2)
The color(blue)(2) goes in the right most column and the color(magenta)(1) is included in the adding up of the next left column
color(green)(color(white)(2)1. color(white)(2)2color(white)(2)4)
color(green)(color(white)(2)5. color(white)(2)3color(white)(2) 6)
color(green)(color(white)(2)ul(2. color(white)(2)4color(white)(2)2)) larr" add up the columns"
color(white)(2)ul(color(white)(2" "color(blue)(2)))
" "color(red)(1)
color(blue)("'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~")
color(blue)("Step 2: add up the next left column")
2+3+4+color(red)(1)" " larr" don't forget the carried 1"
2+3+4+1=10->color(red)(1)color(blue)(0)
color(green)(color(white)(2)1. color(white)(2)2color(white)(2)4)
color(green)(color(white)(2)5. color(white)(2)3color(white)(2) 6)
color(green)(color(white)(2)ul(2. color(white)(2)4color(white)(2)2)) larr" add up the columns"
color(white)(2)ul(" "color(blue)(0)color(white)(.)color(green)(2))
color(white)(.)color(red)(1)color(white)(....)color(green)(1)
color(blue)("'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~")
color(blue)("Step 3: add up the last column")
1+5+2color(red)(+1)" " larr" don't forget the carried 1"
1+5+2+1= color(blue)(9)
color(green)(color(white)(2)1. color(white)(2)2color(white)(2)4)
color(green)(color(white)(2)5. color(white)(2)3color(white)(2) 6)
color(green)(color(white)(2)ul(2. color(white)(2)4color(white)(2)2)) larr" add up the columns"
ul(color(white)(.)color(blue)(9.)color(white)(.)color(green)(0)color(white)(.)color(green)(2)) larr" don't forget the decimal point"
color(white)(.)color(red)(1)color(white)(...)color(green)(1)