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Stage 13 of 20

Two-Digit Subtraction (No Borrow)

Subtract tens from tens and ones from ones independently. Clean columns make two-digit subtraction as straightforward as addition.

What You'll Learn

  • Subtract each column separately
  • Work left-to-right: tens first, then ones
  • Verify with addition or estimation

Explanation

For 86 − 43: tens give 8 − 4 = 4 (forty). Ones give 6 − 3 = 3. Answer: 43.

Left-to-right: "eighty minus forty is forty, six minus three is three, forty-three."

No borrowing means the top ones digit is always ≥ the bottom ones digit, and same for tens.

Estimate: 86 − 43 ≈ 90 − 40 = 50. Answer 43 is in the right ballpark — wait, that's off. 86 − 43 ≈ 40. Good.

Pro Tips

  • • Subtract tens first to know the answer is roughly forty-something.
  • • If ones subtraction would go negative, you need borrowing — next stage.
  • • Check: 43 + 43 = 86 confirms the answer.

Practice Exercises

Work through each problem mentally. Click "Show Answer" when you're ready to check.

  1. 1. 86 − 43 = ?
  2. 2. 79 − 35 = ?
  3. 3. 95 − 62 = ?
  4. 4. 68 − 24 = ?
  5. 5. 57 − 31 = ?
  6. 6. 98 − 56 = ?
  7. 7. 74 − 51 = ?
  8. 8. 89 − 47 = ?
  9. 9. 66 − 33 = ?
  10. 10. 85 − 40 = ?