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QQuanta KidsBy IIT & ISB Alumni
← Back to 2- & 3-Digit Addition & Subtraction

Concept 3 of 9

Adding 2-Digit Numbers

1

Today's big idea

Line up ones under ones and tens under tens, then add each column.

34 + 25: ones 4+5=9, tens 3+2=5 → 59.

2

How it works

👀 What's going on?

34 + 25 is too big for fingers. Stack the numbers instead.

💡 Here's the trick

tensones34+2559ones 4+5=9, tens 3+2=5 → 59

Line up ones under ones and tens under tens, then add each column on its own.

34 + 25: ones 4 + 5 = 9, tens 3 + 2 = 5. The answer is 59.

✍️ Try it

Add 52 + 26. Ones 2 + 6 = 8, tens 5 + 2 = 7. → 78.

⚠️ Watch out

Keep ones under ones, or the columns get mixed up.

3

Watch me solve one

Quanta solves it

“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”

THE PROBLEM

“Add 61 + 27.”

  1. 1

    Add the ones

    1 + 7 = 8.

  2. 2

    Add the tens

    6 + 2 = 8.

  3. 3

    Answer ✓

    61 + 27 = 88

Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇

4

See it in action

⚡ Time to play!

Add the ones column.

34 + 25

4 + 5 = ?

5

Quick check

✅ VERIFICATION

What is 43 + 25?

⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.

Keep going!

Up next: Subtracting 2-Digit Numbers

Line up the columns, then subtract each one.

Concept 4 of 9