EDEXCEL GCSE FOUNDATION MATHS - What is Subtraction

What is Subtraction?

Subtraction is one of the four basic operations of arithmetic. It is the process of taking away a number from another number.

Key Concepts:

• Minuend: The number from which we subtract.
• Subtrahend: The number being subtracted.
• Difference: The result of subtraction.

Example:

5 - 3 = 2 

Here, 5 is the minuend, 3 is the subtrahend, and 2 is the difference.

Visualizing Subtraction:

You can think of subtraction as taking away objects from a group.

Example:

Imagine you have 5 apples and you eat 2. How many apples are left?

5 apples - 2 apples = 3 apples 

Subtraction Facts:

• Subtracting zero from a number leaves the number unchanged.
• Subtracting a number from itself results in zero.
• When subtracting larger numbers, it's helpful to break them down into smaller parts.

Practice:

1. 5 - 2 = ?
2. 8 - 4 = ?
3. 10 - 7 = ?

Answer Key:

1. 3
2. 4
3. 3