What is Subtraction?

Arithmetic · Axiom Academy

Removing part of a quantity to find what remains — the inverse of addition. Subtraction tells us what is left when part of a group is removed — or, equivalently, the difference between two numbers. Start with five, take two away, and three remain. Start with 5 — take 2 away — 3 remain A few words show up every time we subtract. Knowing them makes every later problem easier to read. The symbol that means "subtract" or "take away". The answer when you subtract one number from another. Removing part of a group — one way to read subtraction. What is left after part of a group is removed. The same idea works for any starting amount. In each row, the blue counters are what we begin with and the orange ones are removed; the difference is what is left. Subtraction shows up any time something leaves a group. Read the story, picture the counters being removed, and the difference is your answer. Your inbox holds 8 emails . You archive 3 of them. How many emails remain? Take 3 away from 8: 8 − 3 = 5 emails remain . A meeting room holds 10 people . 4 people leave early. How many are still in the room? Take 4 away from 10: 10 − 4 = 6 people remain . You've seen subtraction as taking away — start with a total, remove a part, and read off the difference that remains. Scroll up to revisit any step.

This is the written version of the interactive lesson above. See the full Arithmetic course.