Subtraction facts for kids
Subtraction is a basic math skill that helps us find out how much is left when we take one number away from another. It's like having a group of things and removing some of them. The answer you get from subtraction is called the difference.
In a subtraction problem, each number has a special name:
- The first number, which is the total amount you start with, is called the minuend.
- The number you take away is called the subtrahend.
- The answer you get is the difference.
For example, in "7 - 4 = 3":
- 7 is the minuend.
- 4 is the subtrahend.
- 3 is the difference.
You can say "7 - 4 = 3" in a few ways, like "seven minus four equals three," or "seven take away four leaves three."
What Happens with Negative Numbers?
Sometimes, the number you are taking away (the subtrahend) is larger than the number you start with (the minuend). When this happens, the answer, or difference, will be a negative number.
For example, if you have 17 and you try to take away 25, you get a negative number:
- 17 - 25 = -8
We say this as "seventeen minus twenty-five equals negative eight."
Think about it like this: If you have $17 and you need to pay $25, you would be $8 short. This idea of negative numbers is used in many places, like when a cash register calculates the change you get back after buying something. If you pay more than the cost, you get positive change. If you somehow paid less, you'd owe money, which is like a negative change.
Related Math Skills
Subtraction is one of the four main operations in arithmetic. The others are:
- addition (putting numbers together)
- multiplication (repeated addition)
- division (splitting numbers into equal groups)
Images for kids
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Subtraction of numbers 0–10. The numbers along the top and side are the numbers you subtract. The numbers inside show the difference.
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This sign outside a shop in Bordeaux shows a 20% discount, which means 20% is subtracted from the original price.
See also
In Spanish: Resta para niños
