Use column subtraction to subtract from a 2- or 3-digit number | Maths

Starter quiz

Which number in the bar model is the minuend?

21

55

76 ✓
Which number in this equation is the difference? 65 − 42 = 23

65

42

23 ✓
Which number in this column subtraction is the minuend?

'87' ✓
What is the name of the part that is circled in the column subtraction?

Difference

Minuend

Subtrahend ✓
Which equation exactly matches the column subtraction?

45 − 14 = 31

45 = 31 + 14

45 − 31 = 14 ✓

14 + 31 = 45
Which column subtraction shows the correct difference?

a) ✓

b)

c)

Exit quiz

Which number in the column subtraction is the minuend?

94 ✓

52

42
Which number in the column subtraction is the subtrahend?

'52' ✓
Calculate the missing difference using the column subtraction.

13

14

23 ✓

33
Calculate the missing difference using the column subtraction.

'112' ✓
What is the missing tens digit?

'4' ✓
What is the missing subtrahend?

'304' ✓

Worksheet

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Presentation

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Video

Lesson Details

Key learning points

Start by subtracting the number with the smallest place value first.
The minuend always appears first in a column subtraction.
The subtrahend is written underneath the minuend.

Common misconception

Pupils may make errors when subtracting zero or when writing zero in the ones, tens or hundreds column of the difference.

Encourage pupils to write zero, using the examples given in the slide deck. Write zero in the hundreds column of the difference when using column subtraction; explain this is not written when the calculation is presented as a horizontal equation.

Keywords

Minuend - The minuend is the number being subtracted from.
Subtrahend - A subtrahend is a number subtracted from another.
Column subtraction - Column subtraction is a way of subtracting numbers by writing a number below another.