Change is the money you get back after paying. Work it out by subtracting the price from the amount you handed over. If you pay with $10.00 for something that costs $6.50, the change is $10.00 − $6.50 = $3.50. Keep the dollars under the dollars and the cents under the cents so the 50 cents isn't missed. The change is always less than what you paid.
Explore this idea with maths tools
Maths you can move
Build 8 + 5
Tap two gold counters to fill the ten-frame.
8 in the frame + 5 waiting. The total stays the same.
Words to know
- change
- the money you get back after paying
- cents
- the part of a price after the decimal point; 100 cents make $1
Worked examples
Pay $10 for a $6.50 item
- 1.$10.00 − $6.50.
- 2.Take off the cents too.
= $3.50
Pay $20 for a $12.80 item
- 1.$20.00 − $12.80.
= $7.20
Pay $5 for a $3.25 item
- 1.$5.00 − $3.25.
= $1.75
For parents
Method: Line up the decimal points and subtract.
What to say: Ask 'how much of your money is left after paying?'
Common mistakes:
- Ignoring the cents of the price ($10 − $6.50 → $4).
- Adding instead of subtracting.