4,002 − 1,547
Today we'll subtract big numbers — even when there are zeros in the way. We had four thousand two stickers, and we gave away one thousand five hundred forty-seven. How many are left?
Stack the numbers so each place value lines up: thousands, hundreds, tens, ones.
Start with the ones. Can we take seven away from two? No — so we need to borrow.
But the tens and hundreds are zero. We have to travel all the way to the thousands. The four becomes a three.
That borrowed amount makes the hundreds a ten — but we pass one along, so the hundreds becomes nine.
Same with the tens: it becomes nine, and the ones finally gets its borrow. Two turns into twelve.
Now the ones: twelve minus seven is five.
Tens: nine minus four is five.
Hundreds: nine minus five is four.
Thousands: three minus one is two.
Let's check by adding back: two thousand four hundred fifty-five plus one thousand five hundred forty-seven equals four thousand two. It works!
Four thousand two minus one thousand five hundred forty-seven equals two thousand four hundred fifty-five. Great work!