Subtraction Table for 2
Each row subtracts numbers 1 through 12 from 2. Subtraction is the inverse of addition and appears in change-making, scores, and measurements.
Rows drop below zero once the subtrahend passes 2: 2 − 3 = −1, and the column keeps walking down — the smallest value here is 2 − 12 = -10. Subtract an even number and parity survives; subtract an odd and it flips: 2 − 3 = -1. Taking away 10 moves only the tens digit: 2 − 10 = -8, a first dip below zero. Read the difference column bottom-up and it climbs, one step at a time, back to 1 — a countdown fully reversed.
| Subtrahend | Difference |
|---|---|
| 2 − 1 | 1 |
| 2 − 2 | 0 |
| 2 − 3 | -1 |
| 2 − 4 | -2 |
| 2 − 5 | -3 |
| 2 − 6 | -4 |
| 2 − 7 | -5 |
| 2 − 8 | -6 |
| 2 − 9 | -7 |
| 2 − 10 | -8 |
| 2 − 11 | -9 |
| 2 − 12 | -10 |
Frequently asked questions
What is 2 − 4?
2 − 4 = -2.
What does the difference column mean?
The difference is the result after subtracting — here, the second number in each row, such as 2 − 2 = 0.
Is subtraction commutative?
No — swapping the order changes the result: 2 − 3 = -1, but 3 − 2 = 1. That is why reading the row direction matters.