Grade 4 Decimals: Subtracting Decimals

Worked examples

Real problems from the practice worksheets, solved one step at a time.

1. Example 1

   3.6 − 1.9 = ?

   1. Line up the decimal points of 3.6 and 1.9.
   2. Subtract each column from right to left, regrouping from the next column when needed.
   3. Bring the decimal point straight down into the answer.
   4. 3.6 − 1.9 = 1.7

   Answer: 1.7

2. Example 2

   Rosa ran 8.5 km on Saturday and 5.7 km on Sunday. How many more kilometers did Rosa run on Saturday?

   1. The question compares two amounts ("how many more"), so subtract the smaller from the larger.
   2. Line up the decimal points: 8.5 − 5.7. Think in tenths: 85 − 57 = 28 tenths, which is 2.8.
   3. So the answer is 2.8 kilometers.

   Answer: 2.8

3. Example 3

   Ben ran 8.8 km on Saturday and 8.5 km on Sunday. How many more kilometers did Ben run on Saturday?

   1. The question compares two amounts ("how many more"), so subtract the smaller from the larger.
   2. Line up the decimal points: 8.8 − 8.5. Think in tenths: 88 − 85 = 3 tenths, which is 0.3.
   3. So the answer is 0.3 kilometers.

   Answer: 0.3