Solve the Sequential Subtraction: 15 - 4 - 3

Q: Why can't I subtract 4 - 3 = 1 first, then do 15 - 1?

Because subtraction must be done from left to right when there are no parentheses! The expression 15 - 4 - 3 means (15 - 4) - 3, not 15 - (4 - 3).

Q: What if I accidentally get 14 as my answer?

You probably subtracted in the wrong order! Remember: left to right is the rule. Try again: 15 - 4 = 11, then 11 - 3 = 8.

Q: Is there a way to check my answer besides working backwards?

Yes! You can use addition to verify: 8 + 4 + 3 should equal 15. If it does, your subtraction was correct!

Q: Would parentheses change the answer?

Absolutely! $15 - (4 - 3) = 15 - 1 = 14$, but $(15 - 4) - 3 = 11 - 3 = 8$. Without parentheses, we follow left-to-right order.

Q: What if there were more numbers to subtract?

Same rule applies! For $20 - 5 - 2 - 3$, work left to right: 20 - 5 = 15, then 15 - 2 = 13, then 13 - 3 = 10.

Sequential Subtraction with Multiple Operations

$15 - 4 - 3 =$

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Understand the problem

$15 - 4 - 3 =$

Step-by-step solution

To solve $15 - 4 - 3$ , follow these steps:

First, subtract 4 from 15: $15 - 4 = 11$ .
Next, subtract 3 from the result: $11 - 3 = 8$ .
Therefore, the correct answer is $8$ .

Final Answer

$8$

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Order Rule: Work from left to right when operations have equal priority
Technique: First calculate 15 - 4 = 11, then 11 - 3 = 8
Check: Verify by adding back: 8 + 3 + 4 = 15 ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Subtracting from right to left or grouping incorrectly
Don't calculate 4 - 3 = 1 first, then 15 - 1 = 14! This ignores the left-to-right rule for equal operations and gives the wrong answer. Always work from left to right: 15 - 4 first, then subtract 3 from that result.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

$$ 8 - 2 + 6 = $$

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why can't I subtract 4 - 3 = 1 first, then do 15 - 1?

Because subtraction must be done from left to right when there are no parentheses! The expression 15 - 4 - 3 means (15 - 4) - 3, not 15 - (4 - 3).

What if I accidentally get 14 as my answer?

You probably subtracted in the wrong order! Remember: left to right is the rule. Try again: 15 - 4 = 11, then 11 - 3 = 8.

Is there a way to check my answer besides working backwards?

Yes! You can use addition to verify: 8 + 4 + 3 should equal 15. If it does, your subtraction was correct!

Would parentheses change the answer?

Absolutely! $15 - (4 - 3) = 15 - 1 = 14$ , but $(15 - 4) - 3 = 11 - 3 = 8$ . Without parentheses, we follow left-to-right order.

What if there were more numbers to subtract?

Same rule applies! For $20 - 5 - 2 - 3$ , work left to right: 20 - 5 = 15, then 15 - 2 = 13, then 13 - 3 = 10.

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