In the decimal number system, each digit has a place value
from the right to left, we have ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, and so on. For
instance, 524 is written as 5 hundreds + 2 tens + 4 ones. The combine place
value strategy is used in subtraction when the minuends’ ones value is smaller
than the subtrahend’s ones value. In subtracting 223 – 119 for instance, notice that 3 is
smaller than 9, so, combine the ones and tens value to have 23 and 19 and then,
subtract (23 – 19 = 4). Afterwards, subtract the hundreds values. Hence the answer is, 223 –
119 = 104.
