Soroban - 03 Addition and Subtraction - Negative Numbers

14/10/2020 Soroban: Addition and subtraction – negative numbers
3. Addition and subtraction – negative

numbers
complementary numbers
23 – 35
50 – 75 – 3125
12 – 25 + 14
soroban.hostfree.pw/3-soroban-addition-subtraction-negative.html 1/21
This section covers the subtraction producing the negative results on a

soroban. Writing it I assumed that you mastered addition and subtraction.
It isn’t possible to use “negative beads” on the abacus but the decimal system
allows us to take advantage of a smart trick using the complementary
numbers. In the decimal system a number complementary of some number is
such number which added to that other number produces a power of 10. So 9
is complementary of 1, 8 of 2, 7 of 3, 6 of 4, 5 of 5, etc.
3.1.
complementary numbers
◦ ◦ • • • •
◦ ◦ • • • •
◦ ◦ • • • •
◦ ◦ • • • •
◦ ◦ • • • •
0 0 2 0 1 6
Above the used beads which are black form number 2016. The nearest power
of 10 bigger than this number is 10000. 10000 – 2016 = 7984. So 7984 is
complementary of 2016.
Now follow the unused beads which are gray above. These unused beads form
number 7983.
So the number represented by unused beads is just one less than the number
complementary to the number represented by used beads.
Rule 1. The first general rule is that in order to get the

complementary number we have to read the unused beads
and then add one to that value.
3.2.
23 – 35
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
0 0 0 0 2 3
23 – 35
Let’s start with the example: 23 – 35.
It isn’t possible to subtract 35 from 23 so we have to borrow.
3.3.
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ • • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
0 0 0 1 2 3
23 – 35
Rule 2. The second general rule is that we can borrow in total only
some power of 10.
Here we borrowed 100 (the pink underline reminds us of this debt).
Now it’s possible to subtract 35 from 123.
We do this in two steps.
3.4.
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
0 0 0 0 9 3
23 – 35
First we subtract 3 from 12 in two steps subtracting 10, adding 7, and getting:
12 – 3 = 09.
3.5.
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
0 0 0 0 8 8
23 – 35 = –12
Then we subtract 5 from 93 in two steps subtracting 10, adding 5, and

getting: 93 – 5 = 88.
We subtracted a bigger number from a smaller one so the result is negative.
In such case instead of reading the used beads (88) we have to read the
unused beads (11). Then in order to get the complementary number we have
to add one in mind: 11 + 1 = 12.
So the result of the subtraction is –12.
3.6.
50 – 75 – 3125
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
0 0 0 0 5 0
50 – 75 – 3125
Let’s continue with the example: 50 – 75 – 3125.
3.7.
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
0 0 0 1 5 0
50 – 75 – 3125
Now we can subtract 75 from 150.
3.8.
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
◦
soroban.hostfree.pw/3-soroban-addition-subtraction-negative.html
◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦ 9/21
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
0 0 0 0 8 0
50 – 75 – 3125
15 – 7 = 08.
3.9.
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
0 0 0 0 7 5
50 – 75 – 3125

getting: 80 – 5 = 75.
In the next step we’ll subtract 3125 from 75. Because it isn’t possible we have
to borrow once again.
3.10.
◦ ◦ • • • •
◦ ◦ • • • ◦
◦ ◦ • • • ◦
◦ ◦ • • ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ • • ◦ ◦
0 0 9 9 7 5
50 – 75 – 3125
In order to subtract the number occupying four columns (3125) from some
smaller number we have to borrow from the fifth column (10000). The rule is
that in total we can borrow only some power of 10. We have already borrowed
100. If we borrow 10000 now it would be in total 10100.
So in order to borrow 10000 in total we have to borrow now 10000 – 100

that is 9900 (the pink underline goes to the fifth column from the right side
to remind us of our total debt).
3.11.
◦
◦ • • • ◦ 12/21
◦ ◦ • • ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
0 0 6 8 5 0
50 – 75 – 3125 = –3150
Now we subtract 3125 from 9975 in four simple steps getting 9975 – 3125 =
6850.
The unused beads produce the number 3149. In order to get the
complementary number we have to add 1 in mind. The complementary
number is 3149 + 1 = 3150.
So the result of the subtraction is –3150.
3.12.
12 – 25 + 14
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
0 0 0 0 1 2
12 – 25 + 14
Let’s finish with the example: 12 – 25 + 14.
3.13.
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ • • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
0 0 0 1 1 2
12 – 25 + 14
Now it’s possible to subtract 25 from 112.
3.14.
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦
◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦ 15/21
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
0 0 0 0 9 2
12 – 25 + 14
11 – 2 = 09.
3.15.
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
0 0 0 0 8 7
12 – 25 + 14

getting: 92 – 5 = 87.
3.16.
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦
0 0 0 0 9 7
12 – 25 + 14
Now we have to add 14 to 87.
First we add 10 to 87 getting: 10 + 87 = 97.
3.17.
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ • ◦ •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
0 0 0 1 0 1
12 – 25 + 14
Then we add 4 to 97 in two steps adding 100 (that means adding 1 in the third
column from the right side and subtracting 9 from the second column),
subtracting 6, and getting: 4 + 97 = 101.
At the very beginning we borrowed 100 going into the negative numbers.
Now we regained this 100 so we are back in the positive numbers and it’s the
time to get the borrowed 100 back.
3.18.
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ •
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦
0 0 0 0 0 1
12 – 25 + 14 = 1
So we remove 1 from the hundredths position.
Rule 3. The third general rule is that if we borrowed something

going into the negative numbers we have to get it back
when we regain that coming at the same time back to the
positive numbers.
The result of the formula is 1.
next
contents
© 2016–2019 Cezary M. Kruk <cezary.kruk@poczta.wp.pl>

Soroban - 03 Addition and Subtraction - Negative Numbers

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Soroban - 03 Addition and Subtraction - Negative Numbers

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

14/10/2020 Soroban: Addition and subtraction – negative numbers

3. Addition and subtraction – negative

This section covers the subtraction producing the negative results on a

Rule 1. The first general rule is that in order to get the

Let’s start with the example: 23 – 35.

It isn’t possible to subtract 35 from 23 so we have to borrow.

Here we borrowed 100 (the pink underline reminds us of this debt).

Now it’s possible to subtract 35 from 123.

We do this in two steps.

Then we subtract 5 from 93 in two steps subtracting 10, adding 5, and

We subtracted a bigger number from a smaller one so the result is negative.

So the result of the subtraction is –12.

Let’s continue with the example: 50 – 75 – 3125.

It isn’t possible to subtract 75 from 50 so we have to borrow.

Here we borrowed 100 (the pink underline reminds us of this debt).

Now we can subtract 75 from 150.

Then we subtract 5 from 80 in two steps subtracting 10, adding 5, and

So in order to borrow 10000 in total we have to borrow now 10000 – 100

So the result of the subtraction is –3150.

Let’s finish with the example: 12 – 25 + 14.

It isn’t possible to subtract 25 from 12 so we have to borrow.

Here we borrowed 100 (the pink underline reminds us of this debt).

Now it’s possible to subtract 25 from 112.

Then we subtract 5 from 92 in two steps subtracting 10, adding 5, and

Now we have to add 14 to 87.

First we add 10 to 87 getting: 10 + 87 = 97.

So we remove 1 from the hundredths position.

Rule 3. The third general rule is that if we borrowed something

The result of the formula is 1.

© 2016–2019 Cezary M. Kruk <cezary.kruk@poczta.wp.pl>

You might also like