What is 2 minus 3?
What is 2 minus 3?
Answer
3 is larger than 2, so the answer is below zero.
-1 is what is left when 3 is taken away from 2.
Steps to subtract 3 from 2
Only parts of the same size can be taken away from each other, so 2 - 3 is solved by giving both fractions the same denominator and then subtracting the numerators. Here is every step.
Step 1: Write both numbers as fractions
A whole number is written over 1, and a mixed number becomes an improper fraction: multiply the whole part by the denominator and add the numerator.
2 = 2/1
3 = 3/1
Step 2: Check the denominators
Both fractions already have the denominator 1, so there is nothing to rewrite.
Step 3: Subtract the numerators
The denominator stays as it is — it says how big each part is, and that has not changed. Only the count of parts is subtracted.
2/1 - 3/1
=(2 - 3)/1
=-1/1
The second numerator is the larger one, so the subtraction goes past zero and the answer keeps a minus sign. The other order, 3 - 2, gives the same size with the opposite sign: 1.
Answer
2 - 3
=-1
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See Also
- Adding Fractions Calculator - Add fractions, mixed numbers and whole numbers step by step
- Fraction to Decimal Converter - Convert Fraction to Decimal
- Fraction Comparison Calculator - Compare two fractions and find out which is larger
- Dividing Fractions Calculator - Divide fractions, mixed numbers and whole numbers step by step
- Fraction to Mixed Number Converter - Convert an Improper Fraction to a Mixed Number
- Multiplying Fractions Calculator - Multiply fractions, mixed numbers and whole numbers step by step
- Fraction Simplifier Calculator - Simplify Fraction to its Lowest Terms
- Percent to Fraction Converter - Convert Percents to Fractions
<a href="https://calculat.io/en/number/fraction-subtraction/2--0--1--3--0--1">2 minus 3 = -1 - Calculatio</a>
Fraction Subtraction Table
| Subtraction | Result | Decimal Form |
|---|---|---|
| 2 - 1 1/4 | 3/4 | = 0.75 |
| 2 - 1 1/3 | 2/3 | ≈ 0.6667 |
| 2 - 1 1/2 | 1/2 | = 0.5 |
| 2 - 3/2 | 1/2 | = 0.5 |
| 2 - 1 2/3 | 1/3 | ≈ 0.3333 |
| 2 - 5/3 | 1/3 | ≈ 0.3333 |
| 2 - 1 3/4 | 1/4 | = 0.25 |
| 2 - 2 1/4 | -1/4 | = -0.25 |
| 2 - 2 1/3 | -1/3 | ≈ -0.3333 |
| 2 - 2 1/2 | -1/2 | = -0.5 |
| 2 - 2 2/3 | -2/3 | ≈ -0.6667 |
| 2 - 2 3/4 | -3/4 | = -0.75 |
| 2 - 3 | -1 | = -1 |
| 2 - 3 1/4 | -5/4 | = -1.25 |
| 2 - 3 1/3 | -4/3 | ≈ -1.3333 |
| 2 - 3 1/2 | -3/2 | = -1.5 |
| 2 - 3 3/4 | -7/4 | = -1.75 |
| 2 - 4 | -2 | = -2 |
| 2 - 4 1/2 | -5/2 | = -2.5 |
| 2 - 5 2/3 | -11/3 | ≈ -3.6667 |
Subtracting Fractions Calculator
This calculator subtracts one fraction from another and shows the whole solution, not just the answer. Mixed numbers and whole numbers are accepted on both sides, so you can take 1/2 away from 2 1/3 just as easily as from 3/4.
For example, it can help you find out what is 2 minus 3? (The answer is: -1).
Enter the number you start from on the left and the number you take away on the right (for example '2' and '3'), then press the button.
Order matters here: 1/2 - 1/3 and 1/3 - 1/2 are different questions. When the second number is the larger one the answer is negative, and the page prints the minus sign instead of hiding it.
Every page also shows why the method works: only parts of the same size can be taken away from each other, so both fractions are first rewritten over their least common denominator and only then are the numerators subtracted.