Solve Vertical Subtraction: 98 minus 2

Q: Why do I start with the ones place instead of the tens place?

Just like reading numbers, we work from right to left in subtraction! Starting with ones place helps you handle borrowing correctly if you need it in harder problems.

Q: What does the blank space under 98 mean?

The blank space shows that 2 is only in the ones place. Think of it as 02 - the tens place has a 0, so we subtract 0 from 9 in the tens column.

Q: How do I know I aligned the numbers correctly?

Make sure digits with the same place value are lined up vertically! Ones under ones, tens under tens. The number 2 goes under the 8 in $98$.

Q: What if I get confused about which number to subtract from which?

The top number is what you start with, and the bottom number is what you take away. So 98 - 2 means start with 98 and take away 2.

Q: Should I always check my answer?

Yes! Add your answer to the number you subtracted: 96 + 2. If you get the original number (98), your subtraction is correct!

Vertical Subtraction with Two-Digit Numbers

$\begin{aligned} &98 \\ -& \\ &~~2 \\ &\underline{\phantom{776}} & \\ \end{aligned}$

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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 substitute

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

00:09 Put 0 in the missing digits

00:13 Subtract tens from tens, and substitute in tens

00:16 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

$\begin{aligned} &98 \\ -& \\ &~~2 \\ &\underline{\phantom{776}} & \\ \end{aligned}$

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:

Step 1: Subtract the one's digits (8 - 2).
Step 2: Subtract the ten's digits (9 - 0).

Now, let's work through each step:
Step 1: We start with the least significant digit. The one's digit in $98$ is $8$ and in $2$ is $2$ . We perform the subtraction $8 - 2 = 6$ . So, the one's place in the answer is $6$ .

Step 2: Next, we proceed to the ten's digits. The ten's digit in $98$ is $9$ and in $2$ is $0$ (since the subtrahend is only a single digit, it’s effectively $0$ in the tens place). Therefore, the calculation is $9 - 0 = 9$ . This makes the ten's digit of the result $9$ .

By combining these results, the answer is $96$ .

Therefore, the solution to the problem is $96$ .

Final Answer

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Place Value: Align digits by place value and subtract column by column
Technique: Ones place first: 8 - 2 = 6, then tens: 9 - 0 = 9
Check: Add the answer back: 96 + 2 = 98 ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Subtracting from left to right instead of right to left
Don't start with tens place (9 - 2 = 7) then ones (8 - 0 = 8) = wrong answer 78! Place value alignment gets confused when you work backwards. Always start with the rightmost column (ones place) and work left.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

$\begin{aligned} &97 \\ -& \\ &63 \\ &\underline{\phantom{776}} & \\ \end{aligned}$ $$

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do I start with the ones place instead of the tens place?

Just like reading numbers, we work from right to left in subtraction! Starting with ones place helps you handle borrowing correctly if you need it in harder problems.

What does the blank space under 98 mean?

The blank space shows that 2 is only in the ones place. Think of it as 02 - the tens place has a 0, so we subtract 0 from 9 in the tens column.

How do I know I aligned the numbers correctly?

Make sure digits with the same place value are lined up vertically! Ones under ones, tens under tens. The number 2 goes under the 8 in $98$ .

What if I get confused about which number to subtract from which?

The top number is what you start with, and the bottom number is what you take away. So 98 - 2 means start with 98 and take away 2.

Should I always check my answer?

Yes! Add your answer to the number you subtracted: 96 + 2. If you get the original number (98), your subtraction is correct!

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