Subtraction
In the subtraction equation 11 – 4 = 7, the number 11 is the minuend. the number 4 is the subtrahend. These words were introduced in the Subtraction Sign chapter earlier.
The specific word for the answer of a subtraction problem is “difference”. The 7 is the difference of 11 – 4.
Video
Watch this 1:55 video, Parts of a Subtraction Problem: Minuend, Subtrahend, & Difference | Math with Mr. J June 16, 2020
Sometimes, the focus of the sentence is the answer. The answer is the most important part of the sentence. We want to say that first.
For example,
11 – 4 = 7 can be said as, “the difference of 11 minus 4 is 7”.
As we saw in addition, the math operation can also be written like below.
8 = 12 – 4 is said as, “the difference of 12 minus 4 equals 8”.
Your Turn — Practice with the subtraction phrase “the difference of”
Remember the subtraction sign phrase, “subtracted from”? It is phrase that allows the minuend and subtrahend to reverse places.
For example:
15 -8 = 7 can be said as, “8 subtracted from 17 equals 7”.
Now that we want to say the answer first, we can use “the difference of” together with the phrase “subtracted from”.
For example:
15 – 8 = 7 can be said as, “the difference of 8 subtracted from 15 equals 7”.
20 – 6 = 14 can be said as, “the difference of 6 subtracted from 20 is 14”.
Your Turn — Practice with the subtraction phrases “the difference of” and “subtracted from”
