Subtraction Word Problems

Subtraction word problems occur in any situations where there is a loss or a decrease of something as a result of reducing a number from another. Here the top number is always bigger than the bottom number.As subtraction is removing parts from a whole. Consider the following examples.
Example 1: Out of 460 beads, 48 beads were lost. How many beads were left?
Solution :
Total number of beads in the beginning = 460
Number of beads lost = 48
Number of beads left = 460 - 48

         5   10
   4    6    0
-       4    8
--------------
  4    1    2

Number of beads left = 412.
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Example 2 :There are 685 children in a school. Due to snow fall 129 children were absent. How many children attended the school?
Total number of children in a school = 685
Number of children absent = 129
Number of children attended the school = 685 - 129

         7   15
   6    8    5
- 1    2    9
----------------
   5    5    6

Number of children attended the school = 556.
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Example 3 : My storybook has 152 pages. I have read 36 pages. How many pages are left?
Solution :
Total number of pages in storybook = 152
Number of pages read = 36
Number of pages left = 152 - 36

         4   12
   1    5    2
-       3    6
----------------
   1    1    6

Number of pages left = 116.
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Practice

1) A train carried 654 passengers. At a station 125 passengers got down. How many were left?

2) A man loaded 255 baskets of fruits on a truck. If 18 baskets were stolen. How many baskets were left?

3) A man had $624. He spent $216. How much money is left?

4) Roger has 64 candles and Nancy has 80 candles. Who has more candles and how many more?

5) How many eggs were left in a basket if 135 eggs were sold out of 240 eggs?

Subtraction word problems

2nd Grade Math

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