Introduction

Decimal subtraction works in a similar way to whole number subtraction.

As an example, let's find the value of 0.8 - 0.5.

First, we write one number above the other, lining up the decimal points and placing a decimal point below the others in our answer:

\begin{array}{cccccccc} & & \!\!\!\! 0 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 8 \!\!\!\! \\ \!\!\!\!-\!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\! 0 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 5 \!\!\!\! \\ \hline & & & \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \end{array}

Next, we proceed by subtracting the two numbers just as we would with whole numbers:

\begin{array}{cccccccc} %& & \!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 0 } \!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 8 } \!\!\!\! \\ & & \!\!\!\! 0 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 8 \!\!\!\! \\ \!\!\!\!-\!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\! 0 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 5 \!\!\!\! \\ \hline & & \!\!\!\! 0 \!\!\!\! & \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 3 \!\!\!\! \end{array}

Therefore: 0.8 - 0.5= 0.3

This is just like 8-5=3, but with the decimal point in a different position.

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Example: Subtracting Decimals

Find the difference 8.17 - 0.14.

EXPLANATION

First, we line up the decimal points:

\begin{array}{cccccccc} & & \!\!\!\! 8 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 1 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 7 \!\!\!\! \\ \!\!\!\!-\!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\! 0 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 1 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 4 \!\!\!\! \\ \hline & & & \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& & \end{array}

Next, we proceed by subtracting the two numbers just as we would with whole numbers:

\begin{array}{cccccccc} %& & \!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 8 } \!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 1 } \!\!\!\! & \!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 7 } \!\!\!\! \\ & & \!\!\!\! 8 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 1 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 7 \!\!\!\! \\ \!\!\!\!-\!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\! 0 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 1 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 4 \!\!\!\! \\ \hline & & \!\!\!\! 8 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 0 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 3 \!\!\!\! \end{array}

Therefore: 8.17 - 0.14 = 8.03

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Practice: Subtracting Decimals

$0.7 - 0.5=$

a
 $1.2$
b
 $0.3$
c
 $0.2$
d
 $0.1$
e
 $0.4$
Practice: Subtracting Decimals

$7.24 - 0.21 =$

a
 $8.03$
b
 $7.03$
c
 $7.05$
d
 $7.46$
e
 $7.43$
Example: Subtracting Decimals: Borrowing Once

What is 5.7 - 3.9?

EXPLANATION

First, we line up the decimal points:

\begin{array}{cccccccc} & & \!\!\!\! 5 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 7 \!\!\!\! \\ \!\!\!\!-\!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\! 3 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 9 \!\!\!\! \\ \hline & & & \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \end{array}

Next, we proceed by subtracting the two numbers just as we would with whole numbers:

\begin{array}{cccccccc} & & \!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 4 } \!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 17 } \!\!\!\! \\ & & \!\!\!\! \cancel 5 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! \cancel 7 \!\!\!\! \\ \!\!\!\!-\!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\! 3 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 9 \!\!\!\! \\ \hline & & \!\!\!\! 1 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 8 \!\!\!\! \end{array}

Therefore: 5.7 - 3.9 = 1.8

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Practice: Subtracting Decimals: Borrowing Once

$6.4 - 3.5 =$

a
 $2.6$
b
 $3.2$
c
 $2.9$
d
 $2.1$
e
 $2.7$
Practice: Subtracting Decimals: Borrowing Once

$12.6 - 10.8 =$

a
 $0.9$
b
 $2.4$
c
 $1.6$
d
 $1.8$
e
 $2.8$
Example: Subtracting Decimals: Borrowing More Than Once

Find the value of 7.362 - 0.634.

EXPLANATION

First, we line up the decimal points:

\begin{array}{cccccccc} & & \!\!\!\! 7 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 3 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 6 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 2 \!\!\!\! \\ \!\!\!\!-\!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\! 0 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 6 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 3 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 4 \!\!\!\! \\ \hline & & & \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& & & \end{array}

Next, we proceed by subtracting the two numbers just as we would with whole numbers:

\begin{array}{cccccccc} & & \!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 6 } \!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 13 } \!\!\!\! & \!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 5 } \!\!\!\! & \!\!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 12 } \!\!\!\! \\ & & \!\!\!\! \cancel 7 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! \cancel 3 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! \cancel 6 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! \cancel 2 \!\!\!\! \\ \!\!\!\!-\!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\! 0 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 6 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 3 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 4 \!\!\!\! \\ \hline & & \!\!\!\! 6 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 7 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 2 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 8 \!\!\!\! \end{array}

Therefore: 7.362 - 0.634 = 6.728

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Practice: Subtracting Decimals: Borrowing More Than Once

$75.53-26.72 =$

a
 $49.39$
b
 $48.94$
c
 $49.52$
d
 $48.81$
e
 $48.18$
Practice: Subtracting Decimals: Borrowing More Than Once

$776.3-482.4=$

a
 $292.5$
b
 $293.9$
c
 $294.3$
d
 $292.9$
e
 $293.7$
Example: Subtracting Decimals: Word Problems

A consignment of strawberries in a dispatch van weighs 208.5 pounds. The van must deliver the load to two stores. If it unloads 124.7 pounds of those strawberries at the first store, how much will it unload at the second store?

EXPLANATION

To find out how much of the strawberries the van will unload at the second store, we need to calculate 208.5-124.7 \, .

First, we line up the decimal points:

\begin{array}{cccccccc} & & \!\!\!\! 2 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 0 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 8 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 5 \!\!\!\! \\ \!\!\!\!-\!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\! 1 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 2 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 4 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 7 \!\!\!\! \\ \hline & & & & & \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \end{array}

Next, we proceed by subtracting the two numbers just as we would with whole numbers:

\begin{array}{cccccccc} & & \!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 1 } \!\!\!\! & \!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 10 } \!\!\!\! & \!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 7 } \!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\!\! \color{blue}\substack{ \\ 15 } \!\!\!\! \\ & & \!\!\!\! \cancel 2 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! \cancel 0 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! \cancel 8 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! \cancel 5 \!\!\!\! \\ \!\!\!\!-\!\!\!\! & & \!\!\!\! 1 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 2 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 4 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 7 \!\!\!\! \\ \hline & & & \!\!\!\! 8 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 3 \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! . \!\!\!\!& \!\!\!\! 8 \!\!\!\! \end{array}

Therefore, the van will unload 83.8 pounds of strawberries at the second store.

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Practice: Subtracting Decimals: Word Problems

Sheila had $\$5.50$ dollars in her purse. If she spent $\$3.20$ to buy some candies, how much money does she have left in her purse?

a
 $\$2.10$
b
 $\$2.50$
c
 $\$2.30$
d
 $\$1.30$
e
 $\$2.20$
Practice: Subtracting Decimals: Word Problems

Last Saturday, Paul bought $2.4$ pounds of potatoes. If he used $0.6$ pounds of those on Sunday to make chips, how many pounds of potatoes did he have left?

a
 $1.6$ pounds
b
 $1.7$ pounds
c
 $1.4$ pounds
d
 $1.2$ pounds
e
 $1.8$ pounds
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