This guide should help you in the process of mastering the mathematical operation that describes how to subtract decimals! In the text below, you can see rules for subtracting decimal numbers and solved examples from:
- How to subtract decimals with and from decimals
- How to subtract decimals with and from whole numbers
In addition to the solved examples that you can see on the page below, in the section below you have available examples in video format that can make your learning process much more interesting!
Let’s start with the first part of this guide:
How To Subtract Decimals With Decimals
The easy part of working with decimals is how to subtract decimals with decimals! If we have such a mathematical example in front of us, we should respect the following rules:
First, we write down the decimal numbers one by one, making sure that the number from which we subtract is on top, and the number by which we reduce the first decimal number is below. Of course, the numbers must be placed so that their decimal points are placed one below the other!
If the decimal numbers have different signs, then we follow the same rules (in terms of signs) as when subtracting whole numbers!
Let’s see a concrete example of subtracting a decimal number from a decimal number:
Example 1: Subtract the decimal numbers:
As can be seen in the solved example above, subtracting decimal numbers is a very easy mathematical operation!
- We start by subtracting decimal numbers from right to left. First, we subtract numbers to place values in hundredths. Because we cannot subtract 7 from 5, we borrow ten hundredths, that is, one-tenth. That’s why 15 – 7 = 8. In the result, we get the digit 8 in the hundredths place.
- In the tenth place, we have already reduced the digit 4 by one, so there we have 3. From here, 3 – 2 = 1, so in the place tenths in the result, we write the digit 1.
- We continue in the same way. The next row on the right, 5 – 2 = 3, so we write the number 3 before the decimal point.
- Finally, in the tens place, we subtract 4 – 1 = 3, so in the tens place in the result we write 3!
Finally, the solution to example 1 is 33.18! The complete solution is presented in the image below!
Let’s see how the second part of this guide looks like:
How To Subtract Decimals With Whole Numbers
Subtracting decimals with whole numbers is similar to subtracting decimals with decimals, except that when ordering the numbers, we will not write a decimal point below the decimal point, but instead write the whole number above or below the decimal point of the decimal number.
See the following example:
Example 2: Complete the subtraction of the numbers:
- First of all, we borrow 10 in place of hundredths (we have 9 left in place of tenths). We subtract 10 – 5 = 5. We write 5 instead of the hundredths in the result!
- In the decimal place of tenths we subtract 9 – 3 = 6, so in the decimal place of tenths in the result we write 6!
- Before the decimal point, the number 5 is already reduced to 4. Because we cannot subtract 5 from 4, we borrow a ten. We subtract 14 – 5 = 9, so we write the number 9 in this place!
- Finally, the number 6 has already been reduced to 5. We subtract 5 – 2 = 3, so we write 3 in the place of tens in the result!
- Finally, the result in the second example on this page is 39.65! The full solution is presented below on this page!
Video Examples
Continue to review the examples in video format that will make the mathematical operation of subtracting decimals even easier! Any reader can use the examples available in this way for self-testing. If you can predict the next flow of the solution, then you have a good understanding of how to subtract decimals with decimals, or how to subtract decimals with whole numbers!
Every reader is welcome to participate in the selection of materials that our team will work on and present on our website in the future. Therefore, if you have a specific problem or idea, feel free to send us your proposal! We wish you all the best in the future!
