Carrying Values in Addition

Sometimes your adding gives you an answer that is greater than ten (10). For example, 6 + 6 = 12. When you start to add larger numbers you will need to start "carrying" values.

Example:
16 + 16 = 32

How did we get that answer? Shouldn't the answer be 20-something? There are two ones in the tens columns and those add up to "2." You are able to get the "3" in the tens column because you carried a value from the ones column when you were adding your first set of numbers.

Here are the steps...
(1) Add the values in the ones column. In our example you add 6 + 6. The answer is "12".
(2) Write down the "2." That will be the ones value in your sum.
(3) Take that extra "1" and add it to the values in the tens column. Moving that "1" is called "carrying." Our example has you adding 1 + 1 + 1 for the tens column.
(4) You would get the tens sum of "3" and that becomes the tens value for your answer.
(5) The two values (3 and 2) make up your sum. You get each of those values by adding numbers in each column.

Two-Digit Addtion Quiz (With Carrying)
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Three-Digit Addition Quiz (With Carrying)
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Always Moving to the Left

Just a little reminder. As you add up numbers that have more than one value, you will add to the left. When you add multiple columns, you always start with the smallest values. If you have a five-digit number such as 12,345 you would start adding values in the ones column first. Then you would move to the tens, hundreds, thousands, and ten thousands columns. If carrying were involved, you would take the carried value and place it in the column to the left. So if you were adding numbers in the tens column and you needed to carry a "1" you would place that "1" in the hundreds column.

Carrying in Multiplication

You will also use carrying in multiplication. Addition and multiplication are closely linked because they combine values. Addition combines individual amounts while multiplication combines groups. You'll soon learn that when you get values greater than "9" in your multiplication that you will need to carry those values to the next column. The numbers will be bigger, but the process will be the same.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

"More or Less" Two-Digit Addtion Quiz (With Carrying)
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Four-Digit Addition Quiz (With Carrying)
- Play Activity

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