Learn to Subtract

The subtraction is another one of the fundamental operations of Arithmetic. It is the inverse operation of the sum.

It consists of take (decrease), a given number (16), another one (5).
Its representation is: 16 - 5 = 11. The first number (16) is called minuend, the second (5) subtrahend and the result (11) is called the difference.
To verify that the subtract is well done, add the difference to subtrahend and we must get minuend: (11 + 5 = 16).

To subtract two numbers, put minuend and below subtrahend, so that they match the units, tens, hundreds etc ... Draw a line under subtrahend and orderly proceed to subtract all the columns, starting with the units, then tens and so on, until we reach the last column.

We are going to see this example: 83.957 - 48.673

1. 7 - 3 = 4, we put the 4 under the units.
2. 5 - 7 , as to 5 we cannot subtract 7, then add 5 to 10 (a unit of the next column, hundreds in this case, which is 10 tens), and will be 15 - 7 = 8. We put the 8 under the tens, and we "store" (carry) 1 that will add to subtrahend of the next column.
3. 9 - 6 , as we carried 1 (6+1=7), will be 9 - 7 = 2. We put the 2 under the hundreds.
4. 3 - 8 , as to 3 we cannot subtract 8, then add 3 to 10 (a unit of the next column, units of thousands in this case, which is 10 hundreds), and will be 13 - 8 = 5. We put the 5 under the units of thousands, and we "carry" 1 that will add to subtrahend of the next column.
5. 8 - 4 , as we carried 1 (4+1=5), will be 8 - 5 = 3. We put the 3 under the tens of thousands.

And we have already concluded: 83.957 - 48.673 = 35.284
(thirty-five thousand two hundred eighty-four).

Now we see that subtraction is well done:
35.284 + 48.673 = 83.957