What is Taking Away One?

S0-SA1-0781

Grade Level:

Pre-School – Class 2

All domains without exception

Definition

What is it?

Taking away one means reducing a number or quantity by exactly one unit. It's a basic step in subtraction, where you find what's left after removing just one item.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine you have 5 delicious ladoos. If you eat 1 ladoo, you are taking away one. Now you are left with 4 ladoos.

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's say your cricket team scored 15 runs in the first over. If one run was a wide ball and didn't count towards the batsman's score (meaning one run is 'taken away' from the total for the batsman's record, even if the team total stays), how many runs were scored by the batsman?

Step 1: Start with the total runs for the over: 15 runs.
---Step 2: Identify the amount to be taken away: 1 run (the wide ball).
---Step 3: Subtract 1 from the total: 15 - 1.
---Step 4: Count backwards one step from 15, which gives 14.
---Answer: The batsman scored 14 runs.

Why It Matters

Understanding 'taking away one' is the foundation of all subtraction and counting backwards. It's crucial for managing daily finances, like checking if you have enough money after buying a small item. Even complex calculations in engineering or coding often break down into simple steps like this.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Thinking 'taking away one' means adding one. For example, if you have 3 apples and take away one, you think you have 4. | CORRECTION: Remember 'taking away' always means reducing or making smaller. 3 - 1 = 2.

MISTAKE: Getting confused with zero. For example, if you have 1 chocolate and take away one, you think you still have 1. | CORRECTION: If you have 1 and take away 1, you are left with 0. There's nothing remaining.

MISTAKE: Not understanding 'one' as a single unit. For example, if you have 10 rupees and take away one, you think you take away 10. | CORRECTION: 'One' specifically means a single unit, not the entire quantity. 10 - 1 = 9.

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: Your mom gave you 7 parathas for lunch. If you ate 1 paratha, how many are left? | ANSWER: 6 parathas

QUESTION: A bus has 20 passengers. At the next stop, 1 passenger gets off. How many passengers are now on the bus? | ANSWER: 19 passengers

QUESTION: You are playing a board game and are on square 30. If you have to move back 1 square because of a penalty, what square are you on now? | ANSWER: Square 29

MCQ

Quick Quiz

What is 12 minus 1?

The Correct Answer Is:

12 minus 1 means taking one away from 12. Counting backwards one step from 12 gives 11. 13 is adding one, and 10 is taking away two.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

When you buy a pack of 6 samosas and eat one, you mentally calculate that 5 are left. When a digital counter for 'items in cart' shows 5, and you remove one item, it immediately updates to 4. This simple subtraction is everywhere, from managing your mobile data (if you use 1GB from a 10GB pack) to checking change at a kirana store.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

SUBTRACTION: The process of taking one number or quantity away from another | REDUCE: To make something smaller in amount or size | QUANTITY: An amount or number of something | UNIT: A single thing or person | LEFT: Remaining after a part has been taken away

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Next, you can explore 'What is Taking Away More Than One?'. This will build on your understanding of subtracting one by applying the same logic to subtract any number, which is useful for more complex problems.