problem solving subtraction examples

Problem Solving on Subtraction

Problem solving on subtraction will help us to get the idea on how to solve the basic subtraction statement problems.

1.  Eight birds sat on a wire. Three birds flew away. How many were left?

Total number of birds sat on a wire = 8

Number of birds flew away = 3

Therefore, number of birds left = 8 - 3 = 5

2.  Sam had 7 dollars. He spent 4 dollars. How many dollars is he left with?

Total amount of money Sam had = $7

He spent = $4

Therefore, amount of money left with him = $7 - $4 = $3

3. Five boats were tied up. Four of the boats sailed away. How many were left?

Total number of boats tied up = 5

Number of boats sailed away = 4

Therefore, number of boats were left = 5 - 4 = 1

4. Ron had 10 stamps. His father took 2 stamps. How many stamps does Ron have now?

Total number of stamps Ron had = 10

Number of stamps his father took = 2

Therefore, number of stamps he have now = 10 - 2 = 8

5. Diana had 18 toffees. She gave 5 toffees to her friend. How many toffees left with her?

Total number of toffees Diana had = 18

Number of toffees she gave to her friend = 5

Therefore, number of toffees left = 18 - 5 = 13

More examples on statement problem solving on subtraction:

6. Mr. Daniel had 39 goats in a pasture. When he opened the pasture gate, 13 goats went out. How many goats remained in? 

Total number of goats in a pasture Mr. Daniel had = 39

Number of goats went out = 13

Therefore, number of goats remained in = 39 - 13 = 26

7. Derek’s father is 47 years old. His mother is 35 years old. What is the difference of their ages?

Age of Derek’s father = 47 years

Age of his mother = 35 years

Therefore, difference of their ages = 47 - 35 = 12 years

2nd Grade Math Practice From Problem Solving on Subtraction to HOME PAGE

New! Comments

Didn't find what you were looking for? Or want to know more information about Math Only Math . Use this Google Search to find what you need.

• Preschool Activities
• Kindergarten Math
• 1st Grade Math
• 2nd Grade Math
• 3rd Grade Math
• 4th Grade Math
• 5th Grade Math
• 6th Grade Math
• 7th Grade Math
• 8th Grade Math
• 9th Grade Math
• 10th Grade Math
• 11 & 12 Grade Math
• Concepts of Sets
• Probability
• Boolean Algebra
• Math Coloring Pages
• Multiplication Table
• Cool Maths Games
• Math Flash Cards
• Online Math Quiz
• Math Puzzles
• Binary System
• Math Dictionary
• Conversion Chart
• Homework Sheets
• Math Problem Ans
• Free Math Answers
• Printable Math Sheet
• Funny Math Answers
• Employment Test
• Math Patterns
• Link Partners
• Privacy Policy

© and ™ math-only-math.com. All Rights Reserved. 2010 - 2023.

Subtraction Word Problems

These lessons look at simple examples of subtraction word problems.

Related Pages More Lessons for Arithmetic Math Worksheets

Words like ‘difference’, ‘less’, ‘take away’, ‘loss’ usually means that subtraction is involved.

For subtraction, take note which number has to be subtracted from which number. Subtracting in the wrong order will give you the wrong answer.

Example: Andy has 53 marbles. Sam has 105 marbles and lost 8 when his bag of marbles dropped. Find the difference between the number of marbles that Sam has left and Andy’s.

Solution: [Sam has 105 marbles] – [8 lost] – [Andy has 53 marbles]

105 – 8 – 53 = 44 marbles

Examples of subtraction word problems

• John has 12 apples, and he gives away 5 of them. How many apples does he have left?
• What is the difference between 17 and 38?
• Jennifer has eighteen apples, and Mike has twelve. How many more apples does Jennifer have than Mike?

Subtraction Word Problem

Example: A farmer grows 531 tomatoes and is able to sell 176 of them in three days. Given that his supply of tomatoes decreases by 176, how many tomatoes does he have remaining at the end of the three days?

We welcome your feedback, comments and questions about this site or page. Please submit your feedback or enquiries via our Feedback page.

Subtraction Word Problems — Examples & Practice - Expii

Subtraction word problems — examples & practice, explanations (3).

Words to Math: Subtraction

In this section, we will learn to translate phrases into a mathematical expression by identifying key words that indicate subtraction .

When talking about subtraction, you will most likely see the terms " subtract ", " less than ", " minus ", " difference ", and " decreased by ". There are different such terms for addition , multiplication , and division .

Let’s take a look at an example.

Sam has 6 pencils. His friend, Jack, has 3 pencils less than Sam. How many pencils does Jack have?

We know that the term " less than " often refers to subtraction, so the operator ‘−’ is required.

Since Sam has 6 pencils and Jack had 3 less than Sam, we can rewrite this as a mathematical expression.

Jack = Sam (6 Pencils) − 3 Pencils = 3 Pencils

When talking about equality, you will most likely see the terms " equal to ", " is ", " the same as ", and " amounts to ".

Here are some phrases about subtraction translated into a mathematical expression.

• 2 less than 6 is 4→6−2=4
• 13 minus 1 equals to 12→13−1=12
• The difference between 10 and 7 is 3→10−7=3

This technique is useful for solving equations too. In that case, we're subtracting the same number from both sides of an equation.

We are now going to take a look at some of the types of problems you might encounter about subtraction word problems.

Example 1 Translate the following into a mathematical expression: 15 minus 8 is 7.

Related Lessons

Word problems with subtraction.

The key to solving word problems is to translate them into mathematical expressions. This is made easier if you can pick out key phrases that tell you what type of operation the problem is asking for. We'll call these signal words .

Image source: By OpenClipartVectors CC0 , via pixabay.com

Which subtraction signal word is included in this word problem?

(Video) Writing an Algebraic Expression from a Word Problem

by mrmaisonet

This video by mrmaisonet works through a few word problem examples with an identification of key words.

The problem he looks at is:

Katie has 12 fewer dollars than Julia has. If d equals the amount of money Julia has, write an expression for the amount of money Katie has.

Here d is a variable . Our expression will have the variable in it somewhere. The key phrase is 12 fewer. This means Katie has the same as Julia minus 12. Therefore, we can say Katie has: d−12

Reading & Math for K-5

• Kindergarten
• Learning numbers
• Comparing numbers
• Place Value
• Roman numerals
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Order of operations
• Drills & practice
• Measurement
• Factoring & prime factors
• Proportions
• Shape & geometry
• Data & graphing
• Word problems
• Children's stories
• Leveled Stories
• Context clues
• Cause & effect
• Compare & contrast
• Fact vs. fiction
• Fact vs. opinion
• Main idea & details
• Story elements
• Conclusions & inferences
• Sounds & phonics
• Words & vocabulary
• Reading comprehension
• Early writing
• Numbers & counting
• Simple math
• Social skills
• Other activities
• Dolch sight words
• Fry sight words
• Multiple meaning words
• Prefixes & suffixes
• Vocabulary cards
• Other parts of speech
• Punctuation
• Capitalization
• Cursive alphabet
• Cursive letters
• Cursive letter joins
• Cursive words
• Cursive sentences
• Cursive passages
• Grammar & Writing

Breadcrumbs

• Word Problems
• Subtract 1-3 digits

Download & Print Only $7.90

Subtraction word problems (1-3 digits)

Word problem worksheets: subtracting numbers below 1,000.

These word problems involve the subtraction of 1-3 digit numbers. The calculations are relatively simple, however we include irrelevant data to encourage students to read carefully.

These worksheets are available to members only.

Join K5 to save time, skip ads and access more content. Learn More

More word problem worksheets

Explore all of our math word problem worksheets , from kindergarten through grade 5.

What is K5?

K5 Learning offers free worksheets , flashcards  and inexpensive  workbooks  for kids in kindergarten to grade 5. Become a member  to access additional content and skip ads.

Our members helped us give away millions of worksheets last year.

We provide free educational materials to parents and teachers in over 100 countries. If you can, please consider purchasing a membership ($24/year) to support our efforts.

Members skip ads and access exclusive features.

Learn about member benefits

This content is available to members only.

• Forgot Password?