Solve Vertical Subtraction: 55 minus 8 in Column Format

Q: Why can't I just subtract 5 - 8 = 3?

You cannot subtract a larger number from a smaller one in subtraction! When 5 is smaller than 8, you must borrow from the tens place first.

Q: How do I know when to borrow?

Borrow whenever the digit you're subtracting FROM is smaller than the digit you're subtracting. In this case, 5

Q: What happens to the tens place after borrowing?

The tens digit decreases by 1. Here, the 5 in the tens place becomes 4 after we borrow 10 for the ones place: $ 55 \rightarrow 4\text{tens} + 15\text{ones} $

Q: How can I check if my answer is correct?

Use addition to check subtraction! Add your answer to the number you subtracted: $ 47 + 8 = 55 $. If you get the original number, you're right!

Q: Is there an easier way to do 55 - 8?

You could think of it as $ 55 - 10 + 2 = 45 + 2 = 47 $, but the column method with borrowing teaches important place value concepts you'll need for harder problems.

Vertical Subtraction with Borrowing

$\begin{aligned} &55 \\ -& \\ &~~8 \\ &\underline{\phantom{776}} & \\ \end{aligned}$

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations

00:00 Solve

00:03 Each time we calculate subtraction of 2 digits, and then we substitute

00:06 5 is less than 8

00:09 Therefore we subtract 1 from the tens and add this amount to the ones

00:16 So now instead of 5 we will have 15

00:22 We subtract the ones from the ones plus ten

00:26 We put in the ones

00:31 We put 0 in the missing digits

00:34 We subtract tens from tens, and put in the tens

00:37 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution

Understand the problem

$\begin{aligned} &55 \\ -& \\ &~~8 \\ &\underline{\phantom{776}} & \\ \end{aligned}$

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll perform the subtraction $55 - 8$ using a step-by-step process:

Step 1: Identify place values for subtraction. The number 55 has a 'tens' place (5) and a 'ones' place (5).
Step 2: Subtract the ones place. We need to subtract 8 from 5. Since 5 is smaller than 8, borrowing is necessary.
Step 3: Borrow from the tens place. Change 55 to 4 tens and 15 ones:

The tens digit is reduced by 1 (from 5 to 4).
Add 10 to the ones digit, changing it from 5 to 15.

Step 4: Subtract the ones place now: $15 - 8 = 7$ .
Step 5: Subtract the tens place: Now we have 4 in the tens place (after borrowing), so $4 - 0 = 4$ .

Therefore, the result of $55 - 8$ is $\mathbf{47}$ .

The correct answer is 47, corresponding to choice 3.

Final Answer

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Borrowing Rule: When ones digit is smaller, borrow from tens place
Technique: Change 55 to 4 tens and 15 ones: $15 - 8 = 7$
Check: Add your answer to the subtracted number: $47 + 8 = 55$ ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Subtracting the smaller number from the larger number in each place
Don't subtract 5 - 8 = 3 in the ones place without borrowing = wrong answer like 33! This ignores place value rules and gives incorrect results. Always borrow from the tens place when the ones digit is too small.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

$\begin{aligned} &15 \\ -& \\ &~~4 \\ &\underline{\phantom{776}} & \\ \end{aligned}$

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why can't I just subtract 5 - 8 = 3?

You cannot subtract a larger number from a smaller one in subtraction! When 5 is smaller than 8, you must borrow from the tens place first.

How do I know when to borrow?

Borrow whenever the digit you're subtracting FROM is smaller than the digit you're subtracting. In this case, 5 < 8, so borrowing is needed.

What happens to the tens place after borrowing?

The tens digit decreases by 1. Here, the 5 in the tens place becomes 4 after we borrow 10 for the ones place: $55 \rightarrow 4\text{tens} + 15\text{ones}$

How can I check if my answer is correct?

Use addition to check subtraction! Add your answer to the number you subtracted: $47 + 8 = 55$ . If you get the original number, you're right!

Is there an easier way to do 55 - 8?

You could think of it as $55 - 10 + 2 = 45 + 2 = 47$ , but the column method with borrowing teaches important place value concepts you'll need for harder problems.

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