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Bus problems: getting off

You learn how many people are left on the bus when people get off at a stop.

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How to work it out

  1. Look how many people are on the bus.
  2. Take away the people getting off.
  3. Now you know how many people are left.

A worked example

There are 8 people on the bus. 3 people get off.

  1. Look at how many people are on the bus: 8.
  2. Take away the people who get off: 3.
  3. Work it out: 8 − 3 = 5.
  4. There are 5 people left on the bus.
More examples

There are 10 people on the bus. 4 people get off.

  1. Start with the 10 passengers.
  2. Take away 4.
  3. Work it out: 10 − 4 = 6.
  4. There are 6 people left on the bus.

There are 15 people on the bus. 5 people get off.

  1. Start with the 15 passengers.
  2. Take away 5.
  3. Work it out: 15 − 5 = 10.
  4. There are 10 people left on the bus.

Try it yourself

  1. There are 8 people on the bus. 4 people get off. How many people are on the bus now?

  2. There are 19 people on the bus. 7 people get off. How many people are on the bus now?

Watch out

  • You add the people instead of taking them away.

    Getting off means leaving: there are fewer people on the bus, so subtract.

Tips

  • Think of a subtraction: getting off always means people leave.

Why it works

Getting off is subtraction in real life. First there are more people, then some of them get off the bus. You work out how many are left with a subtraction.