What is subtraction?

Definition

Subtraction is an operation that removes one quantity from another.

In subtraction, the starting number and the number being subtracted are called terms. The answer to the subtraction is called the difference.

Example

How to subtract numbers using columns

Rule

I write the numbers one below the other, lining the digits up according to their place value.
I subtract the ones and write the resulting ones digit below the line. If I do not have enough ones to do the subtraction, I regroup a ten.
I repeat step 2 for all positions. I make sure to use the new number if I need to regroup.

Example

|872-61=?|

I write the numbers one below the other by lining up the digits according to their place value.
I subtract the ones and write the resulting ones digit below the line. If I do not have enough ones to do the subtraction, I regroup a ten. \|2-1=1\|
I repeat step 2 for all positions. I make sure to use the new number if I need to regroup. I subtract the tens. \|7-6=1\| I subtract the hundreds. Since the second term does not have any hundreds, I write \|8\| below the line. There are no more digits to subtract in the other place value positions.

|872 - 61 = 811|

Example

|923 - 416 = ?|

I write the numbers one below the other by lining up the digits according to their place value.
I subtract the ones and write the resulting ones digit below the line. If I do not have enough ones to do the subtraction, I regroup a ten. I have to do \|3 - 6.\| As I do not have enough ones, I regroup \|1\| ten. I write the number of remaining tens above the digit in the tens position. I now have \|1\| ten and \|13\| ones. \|13-6=7\|
I repeat step 2 for all positions. I make sure to use the new number if I need to regroup. I subtract the digits in the tens position. \|1-1=0\| I subtract the digits in the hundreds place. \|9-4=5\| There are no more digits to subtract in the other place value positions.

|923 - 416 = 507|