Subtract Two-Digit Numbers

Subtraction means taking away one number from another to find the difference. So 50 minus 18 is 32. The bigger number always comes first when we subtract.

Choose two two-digit numbers with the sliders. The lab subtracts the smaller one from the bigger one and shows the steps. Watch what happens when you have to borrow a ten.

If a chocolate costs 25 rupees and you give a 50-rupee note, you get back 25 rupees: that is subtraction. Finding the gap between two cricket scores or two ages is also subtraction.

When the top ones digit is smaller than the bottom ones digit, you must borrow 1 ten from the tens column. That ten becomes 10 ones. Practise this with the lab and it will feel natural soon.