Vertically align numbers with Larger Number on top:
| 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| − | 7 | 7 |
Subtract using place value:
| Hundreds | Tens | Ones | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | |||
| 1 | 10 | 13 | |
| 203 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 77 | 7 | 7 | |
| Difference | 1 | 2 | 6 |
Column traversal from right to left
Ones column:
Ones column:
- Since 3 is less than 7, we have to borrow 1 from the Tens column
- As a result, 3 becomes 13, and 13 − 7 = 6
- The 0 in the Tens column becomes 9 after borrowing 1 from its regrouped value of 10
Tens column:
- 9 − 7 = 2
- Because it was the first nonzero digit to the left of the 3 in the Ones column, the 2 in the Hundreds column became 1 after 1 was borrowed for the purpose of regrouping the 0 in the Tens column (borrowing across a 0)
Hundreds column:
- 1 − 0 = 1
| 9 | |||
| 1 | 10 | 13 | |
| 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| − | 7 | 7 | |
| 1 | 2 | 6 |
Therefore, the Difference between 203 and 77 is 126
Check computation by comparing Larger Number and the Sum of Difference and Smaller Number:
| 1 | 1 | ||
| 1 | 2 | 6 | |
| 7 | 7 | ||
| 2 | 0 | 3 |
Sum of Difference and Smaller Number = 203
Sum of Difference and Smaller Number = Larger Number (203 = 203) ✓
