Subtract Across Zeros Game

Subtract across Zeros Game
 
The best way to get good at subtraction is to do it often. The “Subtract across Zeros Game” is an interactive and engaging web-based application designed to help you practice how to subtract across zeros. The game has several levels of difficulty: 1 Zero, 2 Zeros, 3 Zeros or Mixed. You can use the traditional regrouping method, or the more efficient “Box Method” or “Subtract One” Method. Scroll down the page to learn the different methods.

 

 

How to Play the Subtract across Zeros Game
The game is designed to help you practice your subtract across zeros skills in a fun environment.
Here’s how to play:

1. Select Difficulty: Select “1 Zero”, “2 Zeros”, “3 Zeros” or “Mixed Practice”.
   
2. Enter Your Answer: Subtract the digits in columns from right to left. Typing a number automatically moves the cursor to the next column to the left. Use one of the methods to subtract across zeros. You can put the borrow digit at the top of the ones place to help you remember. (Take note that the game will not check your borrow digit)
   
3. Check Your Work: Click the green Check button (or press the Enter key). The game will tell you if you’re correct. If you are wrong, you will be asked to try again.
   
4. Get a New Problem: Click the Next button (or press Enter again) for a new subtraction problem.
   Your score is tracked at the top, showing how many you’ve gotten right out of the total you’ve tried.
    
   

Strategies for Subtract across Zeros
Sometimes you encounter a zero in the minuend (the top number) and need to borrow, but you can’t borrow from a zero. This necessitates moving to the next non-zero digit to the left. The most common strategies are the standard regrouping method, the “box method” and the “subtract one method”.
 
A. The Standard Regrouping Method
When you need to subtract across zeros, you have to do multiple regrouping. The main idea is that if the ones digit of the top number is smaller than the bottom number and the tens digit is zero, you can’t just borrow from the tens place. You must go to the hundreds place first and so on.
 
This video gives a clear, step-by-step approach to walk through the “Regrouping Method” for subtraction.

• Show Video

 

B. The “Box Method”

1. Identify the zeros: Find the place values where you need to borrow (the zeros). Borrowing:
   
2. If you have multiple zeros in a row, treat them as a single unit. Change the rightmost zero to a 10. Then, change each preceding zero to a 9, effectively “passing” the borrow.
3. Borrow from the next non-zero digit to the left. Reduce that digit by 1.
4. Subtract: Now that you have borrowed and adjusted the numbers, perform the subtraction as usual.
    
   The video gives a clear, step-by-step approach to walk through the “Box Method” for subtraction.
   
   • Show Video
   
    
   

C. The “Subtract One Method”
This is a clever shortcut that can make subtracting across multiple zeros much faster and less prone to error. This method is most useful when the minuend is a digit followed by zeros.
For example, to solve 2000 - 357:
Subtract 1 from both numbers. This changes the problem to 1999 − 356.
Subtract the new numbers. Because there are no zeros, you can subtract straight down each column without regrouping. The answer is 1999 - 356 = 1643.
This method works because the difference between two numbers remains the same when you subtract the same amount from both numbers.
 

The video gives a clear, step-by-step approach to walk through the “Subtract One” Method for subtraction.

• Show Video

 

Subtraction Games/Worksheets
Practice your Subtraction skills with the following games and worksheets.
Subtraction Games/Worksheets
 

Try out our new and fun Fraction Concoction Game.

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