Subtract 6 Units from 46: Visual Base-10 Block Method

Base-10 Subtraction with Visual Blocks

We built the number 46 - let's take out 6 units

What will we get?

❤️ Continue Your Math Journey!

We have hundreds of course questions with personalized recommendations + Account 100% premium

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

We built the number 46 - let's take out 6 units

What will we get?

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we will follow these straightforward steps:

  • Identify the number from which we will subtract: this is the number 46.
  • Identify the number to subtract: this is the number 6.
  • Perform the subtraction operation: subtract 6 from 46.

Let's perform the subtraction:

466 46 - 6

Subtracting 6 from 46 involves the following:

  • Determine the units: 6 subtracted from 6 leaves 0 in the units place.
  • The tens place remains unaffected directly, as the operation is straightforward: 4 tens remain as 4 since the operation only affects the units.

So, the calculation becomes:

466=40 46 - 6 = 40

Therefore, after subtracting 6 from 46, the result is 40 40 .

3

Final Answer

40 40

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Visual Method: Use base-10 blocks to represent numbers before subtracting
  • Technique: Remove 6 unit blocks from 46 (4 tens + 6 units)
  • Check: Count remaining blocks: 4 tens + 0 units = 40 ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Subtracting from the tens place instead of units
    Don't subtract 6 from the tens digit (4) to get 34! This ignores place value and gives the wrong answer. Always subtract from the correct place value - units from units, tens from tens.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

If we have 85 blocks in total, how many blocks will remain if we remove 4 tens and 1 one?

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do we use blocks to show subtraction?

+

Visual blocks help you see exactly what's happening! You can physically remove the blocks you're subtracting, making the math concrete instead of abstract.

What if I don't have enough units to subtract?

+

When you need to subtract more units than you have, you'll need to regroup (borrow) from the tens place. Trade 1 ten-block for 10 unit-blocks first!

How do I know which blocks to remove?

+

Always remove from the same place value you're subtracting. If subtracting 6 units, remove 6 unit-blocks. If subtracting 2 tens, remove 2 ten-blocks.

Can I use this method for bigger numbers?

+

Absolutely! Base-10 blocks work for any size number. Just add hundreds-blocks (flat squares) and thousands-blocks (cubes) as needed.

What's the difference between this and regular subtraction?

+

It's the same math, just shown visually! The blocks help you understand why the subtraction works the way it does.

🌟 Unlock Your Math Potential

Get unlimited access to all 18 Natural Numbers around 100 questions, detailed video solutions, and personalized progress tracking.

📹

Unlimited Video Solutions

Step-by-step explanations for every problem

📊

Progress Analytics

Track your mastery across all topics

🚫

Ad-Free Learning

Focus on math without distractions

No credit card required • Cancel anytime

More Questions

Click on any question to see the complete solution with step-by-step explanations