Vertically align numbers with Larger Number on top:
| 1 | 6 | 8 | . | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| − | 3 | 1 | . | 4 | 5 | 2 |
Subtract using place value:
| Hundreds | Tens | Ones | Tenths | Hundredths | Thousandths | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 10 | 8 | 10 | ||||
| 168.09 | 1 | 6 | 8 | . | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 31.452 | 3 | 1 | . | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| Difference | 1 | 3 | 6 | . | 6 | 3 | 8 |
Column traversal from right to left
Thousandths column:
Thousandths column:
- Since 0 is less than 2, we have to borrow 1 from the Hundredths column
- As a result, 0 becomes 10, and 10 − 2 = 8
- The 9 in the Hundredths column becomes 8
Hundredths column:
- 8 − 5 = 3
Tenths column:
- Since 0 is less than 4, we have to borrow 1 from the Ones column
- As a result, 0 becomes 10, and 10 − 4 = 6
- The 8 in the Ones column becomes 7
Ones column:
- 7 − 1 = 6
Tens column:
- 6 − 3 = 3
Hundreds column:
- 1 − 0 = 1
| 7 | 10 | 8 | 10 | ||||
| 1 | 6 | 8 | . | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| − | 3 | 1 | . | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| 1 | 3 | 6 | . | 6 | 3 | 8 |
Therefore, the Difference between 168.09 and 31.452 is 136.638
Check computation by comparing Larger Number and the Sum of Difference and Smaller Number:
| 1 | 1 | ||||||
| 1 | 3 | 6 | . | 6 | 3 | 8 | |
| 3 | 1 | . | 4 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1 | 6 | 8 | . | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Sum of Difference and Smaller Number = 168.09 (trailing zero is dropped)
Sum of Difference and Smaller Number = Larger Number (168.09 = 168.09) ✓
