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NCERT Solutions for Class 5th Maths Chapter 4 Subtracting Large Numbers — Subtracting Large Numbers

Book page 49–50 Updated on2026-09-19

Q1.
The total distance of the sea route from Mumbai to Chennai is 2,700 km. A ship starting from Mumbai first reaches the Cochin port, travelling 1,083 km by sea. How much more distance does it have to travel to reach the Chennai port?
Answer

The ship still has to travel 1,617 km.

The whole sea route is 2,700 km. The ship has already covered 1,083 km of it. We want the part still left, so we subtract.

Distance left = 2,700 km − 1,083 km
  1. Ones: 0 is smaller than 3. The tens are 0 too, so first take 1 hundred from the 7 hundreds and turn it into 10 tens.
  2. Now the hundreds are 6 and the tens are 10. Take 1 ten from those 10 tens and turn it into 10 ones.
  3. Now the tens are 9 and the ones are 10.
  4. Ones: 10 − 3 = 7.
  5. Tens: 9 − 8 = 1.
  6. Hundreds: 6 − 0 = 6.
  7. Thousands: 2 − 1 = 1.
ThHTO
26 (was 7)9 (was 0)10 (was 0)
− 1083
1617
Distance still to be travelled = 1,617 km
Q2.
Do you remember how to subtract numbers using place value?
Answer

Yes. Line the numbers up in columns and take away one column at a time, starting at the ones.

  1. Write the bigger number on top and the smaller one below it, ones under ones.
  2. Start at the ones column.
  3. If the top digit is big enough, subtract straight away.
  4. If the top digit is too small, regroup — take 1 from the column on the left and turn it into 10 in this column. Remember that the left column now has 1 less.
  5. Move left and repeat until every column is done.
Why regrouping is allowed: You are not changing the number, only the way it is written. 2,700 can be seen as 2 thousands, 7 hundreds, 0 tens, 0 ones — or as 2 thousands, 6 hundreds, 9 tens, 10 ones. Both are 2,700. The second way just happens to be easier to subtract from.
Tip: When there are zeros in the middle, as in 2,700, borrow one step at a time — hundred to tens first, then tens to ones. Do not try to jump two columns at once.
Q3.
Check if the solution is correct.
Answer

Yes, it is correct. Add the answer back to the distance already sailed and you land on the full route.

1,617 km (still to sail) + 1,083 km (already sailed) = 2,700 km ✓
  1. Ones: 7 + 3 = 10. Write 0, carry 1 ten.
  2. Tens: 1 + 8 + 1 = 10. Write 0, carry 1 hundred.
  3. Hundreds: 6 + 0 + 1 = 7.
  4. Thousands: 1 + 1 = 2.

That is 2,700 — exactly the length of the Mumbai to Chennai sea route. So 1,617 km is right.

Q4.
As you learnt earlier, the longest land route is 15,150 km between Talon (Russia) and Sagres (Portugal). The longest highway in Africa is 10,228 km long, connecting the cities of Cairo, in Egypt and Cape Town, in South Africa. How much longer is the land route between Talon and Sagres compared to the highway between Cairo and Cape Town?
Answer

The Talon–Sagres route is 4,922 km longer.

The words how much longer mean we must find the difference, so we subtract the shorter road from the longer one.

Difference = 15,150 km − 10,228 km
  1. Ones: 0 is smaller than 8. Take 1 ten from the 5 tens. Now the tens are 4 and the ones are 10. 10 − 8 = 2.
  2. Tens: 4 − 2 = 2.
  3. Hundreds: 1 is smaller than 2. Take 1 thousand from the 5 thousands. Now the thousands are 4 and the hundreds are 11. 11 − 2 = 9.
  4. Thousands: 4 − 0 = 4.
  5. Ten-thousands: 1 − 1 = 0.
TThThHTO
14 (was 5)11 (was 1)4 (was 5)10 (was 0)
− 10228
04922
The Talon–Sagres road is 4,922 km longer.
Check it yourself: 10,228 + 4,922 = 15,150 ✓
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