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Subtract numbers with step-by-step solutions. Chain multiple subtractions and see the complete working with borrowing explained.
Subtraction is one of the four basic arithmetic operations. It finds the difference between two numbers by taking one quantity away from another. The number being subtracted from is called the minuend, the number being subtracted is the subtrahend, and the result is the difference.
When a digit in the minuend is smaller than the corresponding digit in the subtrahend, we need to "borrow" from the next place value.
Step 1: In the ones column, 2 < 8, so we borrow from tens
Step 2: 52 becomes 4(12) — we take 10 from the tens place
Step 3: 12 − 8 = 4 (ones column)
Step 4: 4 − 3 = 1 (tens column)
Answer: 14
You can verify subtraction by using addition: add the difference to the subtrahend, and you should get the minuend.
If 15 − 7 = 8
Then 8 + 7 should equal 15 ✓
You get a negative result. For example, 5 − 8 = -3. The absolute value of the result is the difference, with a negative sign indicating the subtrahend was larger.
When borrowing across zeros (like in 300 − 156), you need to go to the next non-zero digit. 300 becomes 2-9-10 (borrow from hundreds, making it 29 tens, then borrow from tens for ones).
No, subtraction is NOT commutative. The order matters: 8 − 3 = 5, but 3 − 8 = -5. Unlike addition, switching the order changes the result.
Subtracting a negative number is the same as adding its positive value. For example: 5 − (−3) = 5 + 3 = 8. Think: 'two negatives make a positive.'
Line up the decimal points, add zeros as placeholders if needed, then subtract column by column from right to left, borrowing when necessary.
Subtraction is the inverse of addition. If a + b = c, then c − b = a and c − a = b. This relationship is useful for checking answers.