Subtraction Within 10
Subtraction within 10 means taking away a smaller number from a bigger number where both are 10 or less. The answer is always 10 or less.
We can solve these using counting back, fingers, or a number line.
What is Subtraction Within 10 - Class 1 Maths (Subtraction (Grade 1))?
Subtraction within 10 covers all problems like: 10 − 3, 7 − 5, 4 − 4, 6 − 0, etc.
| − | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
Solved Examples
Example 1: 8 − 3
Question: What is 8 − 3?
Think:
- Start at 8
- Count back 3: 7, 6, 5
0 — 1 — 2 — 3 — 4 — 5 ← 6 ← 7 ← 8
Answer: 8 − 3 = 5.
Example 2: 10 − 4
Question: What is 10 − 4?
Think:
- Start at 10
- Count back 4: 9, 8, 7, 6
Answer: 10 − 4 = 6.
Example 3: 6 − 6
Question: What is 6 − 6?
Think:
- Take away all 6 from 6
- Nothing is left
Answer: 6 − 6 = 0.
Example 4: Ria's Toffees
Question: Ria has 9 toffees. She gives 5 to her friend. How many are left?
Think:
- Start with 9, take away 5
- 9 − 5 = 4
Answer: Ria has 4 toffees left.
Example 5: 7 − 0
Question: What is 7 − 0?
Think:
- Taking away 0 means taking nothing
- The number stays the same
Answer: 7 − 0 = 7.
Example 6: Aman's Pencils
Question: Aman has 5 pencils. He breaks 2. How many good pencils remain?
Think:
- 5 − 2 = 3
Answer: 3 pencils remain.
Example 7: 10 − 7
Question: Priya has 10 stickers. She uses 7. How many are unused?
Think:
- 10 − 7 = 3
Answer: 3 stickers are unused.
Key Points to Remember
- In subtraction within 10, we always start with a number from 1 to 10.
- Counting back: start at the bigger number and count backward.
- Subtracting 0 gives the same number: 8 − 0 = 8.
- Subtracting a number from itself gives 0: 7 − 7 = 0.
- Use addition to check: if 8 − 3 = 5, then 5 + 3 should equal 8 ✓.
Practice Problems
- What is 9 − 4?
- What is 10 − 10?
- Kavi has 6 marbles. He gives 2 to Dev. How many does Kavi have?
- Show 7 − 3 on a number line.
- Fill in: 8 − ___ = 5.
- What is 3 − 0?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is subtraction within 10?
It means subtracting numbers where both the starting number and the answer are 10 or less. Examples: 10−4=6, 7−3=4.
Q2. What is counting back?
Counting back means starting at a number and saying the numbers going down. To find 8−3, start at 8 and count back 3: 7, 6, 5.
Q3. What happens if I subtract 0?
The number stays the same. Subtracting 0 means taking away nothing. 9−0=9.
Q4. What happens if I subtract a number from itself?
You get 0. Taking away everything leaves nothing. 6−6=0.
Q5. How can I check my answer?
Use addition. If 10−4=6, then check: 6+4=10. If the addition works, the subtraction is correct.
Q6. Is 3 − 5 possible in Grade 1?
No. In Grade 1, we only subtract a smaller number from a bigger one. 3−5 is not covered until later grades.
