# Subtracting in base 6

• August 5th 2008, 12:30 PM
scott_237
Subtracting in base 6
Question) Evaluate: 522(base 6) - 244 (base 6)

answer = 234 , one mark for both method and answer, no marks given for converting to decimal and back.
• August 5th 2008, 12:41 PM
Soroban
Hello, scott_237!

If you copied the problem accurately,
. . there is no way they can get their answer!

Quote:

Evaluate: . $566_6 - 244_6$

Answer: . $234_6$ .??

There is no "borrowing" required.
. . The answer comes out to: $322_6$

. . $\begin{array}{cccc} & 5 & 6 & 6 \\ - & 2 & 4 & 4 \\ \hline & 3 & 2 & 2 \end{array}$

• August 5th 2008, 01:13 PM
Plato
Quote:

Originally Posted by scott_237
Question) Evaluate: 522(base 6) - 244 (base 6)

Scott, Did you try adding $234_6 + 244_6$ to see how it might work?
• August 14th 2008, 11:09 AM
scott_237
yea thanks, i see how it works when i convert it to decimal then back, i.e. base 6 = ...36,6,1 as opposed to decimal = 1000,100,10,1 but the question requires it to be done with a certain method, you don't get marks for converting to decimal then doing the subtraction then converting to base 6 again.

Do any of you know a method like this?