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