Solve Sequential Subtraction: 85 - 23 - 14

Q: Do I subtract both 23 and 14 from 85 at the same time?

No! Work from left to right step by step. First subtract 23 from 85 to get 62, then subtract 14 from that result to get 48.

Q: Why can't I just add 23 + 14 and subtract that from 85?

Actually, you can do this for simple subtraction chains! $85 - 23 - 14$ equals $85 - (23 + 14)$. But it's safer to work left to right to avoid mistakes with more complex problems.

Q: What if I get a different answer working left to right?

If you get a different answer, double-check your arithmetic! Make sure: 85 - 23 = 62, then 62 - 14 = 48. Review each step carefully.

Q: How do I check if 48 is correct?

Add the numbers back in reverse order: $48 + 14 + 23$. If you get 85, your answer is right!

Q: Does the order of subtraction matter?

Yes! Unlike addition, subtraction is not commutative. $85 - 23 - 14$ gives 48, but $85 - 14 - 23$ also gives 48. However, $23 - 85 - 14$ would be very different!

Sequential Subtraction with Multi-Step Operations

$85 - 23 - 14 =$

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Understand the problem

$85 - 23 - 14 =$

Step-by-step solution

First, subtract 23 from 85: $85 - 23 = 62$ .

Next, subtract 14: $62 - 14 = 48$ .

The final answer is $48$ .

Final Answer

$48$

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Order Rule: Subtract from left to right in sequence
Technique: First calculate 85 - 23 = 62, then 62 - 14
Check: Verify by adding back: 48 + 14 + 23 = 85 ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Subtracting all numbers from the first number simultaneously
Don't calculate 85 - 23 - 14 as 85 - (23 + 14) = 85 - 37 = 48! While this gives the same answer here, it creates confusion with order of operations. Always work left to right: first 85 - 23 = 62, then 62 - 14 = 48.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

Solve the following equation:

$12+7-5\text{ }=$

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Do I subtract both 23 and 14 from 85 at the same time?

No! Work from left to right step by step. First subtract 23 from 85 to get 62, then subtract 14 from that result to get 48.

Why can't I just add 23 + 14 and subtract that from 85?

Actually, you can do this for simple subtraction chains! $85 - 23 - 14$ equals $85 - (23 + 14)$ . But it's safer to work left to right to avoid mistakes with more complex problems.

What if I get a different answer working left to right?

If you get a different answer, double-check your arithmetic! Make sure: 85 - 23 = 62, then 62 - 14 = 48. Review each step carefully.

How do I check if 48 is correct?

Add the numbers back in reverse order: $48 + 14 + 23$ . If you get 85, your answer is right!

Does the order of subtraction matter?

Yes! Unlike addition, subtraction is not commutative. $85 - 23 - 14$ gives 48, but $85 - 14 - 23$ also gives 48. However, $23 - 85 - 14$ would be very different!

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