Solve Vertical Subtraction: 965 minus 34

Q: Why do I subtract from right to left?

We subtract from right to left because that's the order of place values: units, tens, hundreds. This prevents confusion and helps you handle borrowing correctly when needed.

Q: What does the zero in the hundreds place of 34 mean?

Since 34 is a two-digit number, it has no hundreds. We treat this as 0 in the hundreds place, so $9 - 0 = 9$ in our subtraction.

Q: How do I know if I need to borrow?

You need to borrow when the top digit is smaller than the bottom digit in any column. In this problem, 5 > 4 and 6 > 3, so no borrowing was needed!

Q: Can I check my answer a different way?

Yes! You can also use estimation. Since $965 - 34$ is close to $970 - 30 = 940$, our answer of 931 makes sense.

Q: What if the problem had bigger numbers?

The same method works! Just keep aligning place values properly and subtract column by column. With practice, you can handle four-digit, five-digit, or even larger numbers.

Vertical Subtraction with Three-Digit Numbers

$\begin{aligned} &965 \\ -& \\ &~~34 \\ &\underline{\phantom{776}} & \\ \end{aligned}$

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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 calculate subtraction of 2 digits, and then place

00:06 Let's start by subtracting ones from ones, and place in ones

00:09 Subtract tens from tens, and place in tens

00:13 Place 0 in the missing digits

00:16 Subtract hundreds from hundreds, and place in hundreds

00:19 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

$\begin{aligned} &965 \\ -& \\ &~~34 \\ &\underline{\phantom{776}} & \\ \end{aligned}$

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we will perform the subtraction $965 - 34$ as follows:

Step 1: Subtract the units place.
We have $5 - 4 = 1$ .
Write $1$ in the units place of the result.
Step 2: Subtract the tens place.
We have $6 - 3 = 3$ .
Write $3$ in the tens place of the result.
Step 3: Subtract the hundreds place.
We have $9 - 0 = 9$ (since the hundred’s place of the subtrahend is essentially $0$ for alignment).
Write $9$ in the hundreds place of the result.

By combining these results, we see that the subtraction $965 - 34$ yields $931$ .

Therefore, the solution to the problem is $931$ .

Final Answer

931

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Alignment: Stack numbers with place values properly aligned vertically
Technique: Subtract column by column from right to left: 5-4=1, 6-3=3, 9-0=9
Check: Add your answer to the subtrahend: 931 + 34 = 965 ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Misaligning place values when stacking numbers
Don't stack 34 under 965 without proper alignment = wrong subtraction in each column! The 4 must align with 5 (units), and 3 must align with 6 (tens). Always align digits by their place value positions before subtracting.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

$\begin{aligned} &105 \\ -& \\ &~~~~3 \\ &\underline{\phantom{776}} & \\ \end{aligned}$

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do I subtract from right to left?

We subtract from right to left because that's the order of place values: units, tens, hundreds. This prevents confusion and helps you handle borrowing correctly when needed.

What does the zero in the hundreds place of 34 mean?

Since 34 is a two-digit number, it has no hundreds. We treat this as 0 in the hundreds place, so $9 - 0 = 9$ in our subtraction.

How do I know if I need to borrow?

You need to borrow when the top digit is smaller than the bottom digit in any column. In this problem, 5 > 4 and 6 > 3, so no borrowing was needed!

Can I check my answer a different way?

Yes! You can also use estimation. Since $965 - 34$ is close to $970 - 30 = 940$ , our answer of 931 makes sense.

What if the problem had bigger numbers?

The same method works! Just keep aligning place values properly and subtract column by column. With practice, you can handle four-digit, five-digit, or even larger numbers.

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