Subtract numbers up to five digits: word problems
Learn with an example
Recently, the value of Shawna’s university savings fund decreased by ₹6. If her fund was worth ₹3,254 before,
how much is it worth now?
Subtract the amount the fund decreased from the total amount.
Subtract:
3,254− 6
You can count backward to subtract.
Start from 3254 and count back 6.
3,254, 3,253, 3,252, 3,251, 3,250, 3,249, 3,248
3,254 − 6 =3,248
The difference is 3,248. Shawna’s university savings fund is worth ₹3,248 now.
🎯 Oakland Lake was originally blue because it only had 3,428 algae plants. Now there are 8,743 algae plants, and the lake has turned green.
How many more algae plants are in Oakland Lake now?
_______ algae plants
Subtract the number of algae plants Oakland Lake had from the number of algae plants it has now.
Subtract:
Subtract the ones. You need to carry over first. Subtract 13 − 8.
Subtract the tens. Subtract 3 − 2.
Subtract the hundreds.
Subtract the thousands.
The difference is 5,315. There are 5,315 more algae plants in Oakland Lake now.
🎯 Before the recent housing boom, there were 549 houses in Jasper County. Now, there are 4,515 houses.
How many houses did developers build during the housing boom?
_____ houses
Subtract the number of houses before the boom from the number of houses now.
Subtract:
Subtract the ones. You need to carry over first. Subtract 15 − 9.
Subtract the tens. You need to carry over first. Subtract 10 − 4.
Subtract the hundreds. You need to carry over first. Subtract 14 − 5.
Subtract the thousands.
The difference is 3,966. Developers built 3,966 houses in Jasper County during the housing boom.
Let’s practice!
