Subtraction
What is Subtracting?
Have you ever given away some of your toys or candies to a friend? When you do that, you're subtracting! Let’s see: if you have 4 cubes, and you give 3 cubes to your friend, how many cubes do you have left?
\(\quad\) 
\(\quad\)
Now you have 1 cube left! In math, we write it like this:$$4-3=1$$ \(-\) 
\(=\) 
\(-\) \(=\)
Definition Subtraction
Subtraction means taking something away. When we subtract, we find out how many are left.
- The \(-\) symbol means "subtract."
- The \(=\) symbol shows that the two sides are the same.
- Numbers: \(4 - 3 = 1\)
- Cubes: \(-\) \(=\)
- Fingers:
\(-\) 
\(=\) 
- Words: four minus three equals one
How to Subtract?
Method Using the fingers
We want to find out what \(5-2\) is. Let’s use our fingers!
- Hold up 5 fingers:
- Put down 2 fingers:
-
- Count how many fingers are still up: \(3\)
