Subtraction with Base-10 Blocks: 34 - 16 Using Visual Models

Subtraction with Regrouping Base-10 Blocks

If we have 34 blocks in total and we remove 16 of those blocks, how many blocks remain? Remember you can break down a row of 10 blocks into single units.

❤️ 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

If we have 34 blocks in total and we remove 16 of those blocks, how many blocks remain? Remember you can break down a row of 10 blocks into single units.

2

Step-by-step solution

First, we start with the total number of blocks, which is 34 34 .

We need to remove 16 16 blocks from this total. Therefore, we perform the subtraction:

3416 34 - 16 .

Let's break this down:
34 34 is composed of 3 3 tens (i.e., 30 30 ) and 4 4 ones.
Subtracting 16 16 means subtracting 1 1 ten and 6 6 from these 34 34 blocks.

First, subtract 10 10 from 34 34 , which leaves us with 24 24 . Then, subtract 6 6 from 24 24 , giving:

246=18 24 - 6 = 18 .

Therefore, after removing 16 16 blocks, we are left with 18 18 blocks.

The solution to the problem is 18 18 .

3

Final Answer

18 18

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Concept: Represent numbers using tens blocks and ones blocks
  • Method: Subtract ones first: 4 - 6 requires regrouping one ten
  • Check: Count remaining blocks: 2 tens + 8 ones = 18 ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Forgetting to regroup when subtracting larger ones digit
    Don't try to subtract 6 from 4 in the ones place = impossible! This leads to confusion and wrong answers. Always regroup one ten into 10 ones when the bottom ones digit is larger than the top ones digit.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

If we have 67 blocks in total, how many blocks will remain if we remove 5 tens and 4 ones?

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

What does it mean to 'break down a row of 10 blocks'?

+

When you break down or regroup, you're trading 1 ten-block for 10 individual unit blocks. It's like trading a 10billforten10 bill for ten 1 bills - the value stays the same!

Why can't I just subtract 6 from 4 in the ones place?

+

You can't take away 6 things when you only have 4! That's why we regroup - we borrow 1 ten (which equals 10 ones) so we have 14 ones instead of 4 ones.

How do I know when I need to regroup?

+

You need to regroup when the bottom digit is larger than the top digit in any place value. In 34 - 16, since 6 > 4 in the ones place, we must regroup.

What happens to the tens place after regrouping?

+

After borrowing 1 ten for the ones place, we have one less ten in the tens place. So 3 tens becomes 2 tens, and 4 ones becomes 14 ones.

Can I use this method for bigger numbers too?

+

Absolutely! Base-10 blocks and regrouping work for any subtraction problem. You might have hundreds blocks, thousands blocks, and so on - the same principle applies!

🌟 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