Which digital circuit performs subtraction of numbers?

Which digital circuit performs subtraction of numbers?

• A. Adder
• B. Divider
• C. Subtractor
• D. Multiplier

Answer: (C)

Subtraction in binary circuits is carried out by a subtractor, which calculates A minus B and outputs the difference (often with borrow handling for multi-bit numbers). A subtractor is directly designed for the subtraction operation, unlike an adder (which computes A + B), a divider (A ÷ B), or a multiplier (A × B). In practice, subtraction can also be achieved by using an adder with the second operand in two’s complement, but the device’s intended function remains subtracting one number from another. For example, with A = 5 and B = 3, a subtractor yields 2.

Subtraction in binary circuits is carried out by a subtractor, which calculates A minus B and outputs the difference (often with borrow handling for multi-bit numbers). A subtractor is directly designed for the subtraction operation, unlike an adder (which computes A + B), a divider (A ÷ B), or a multiplier (A × B). In practice, subtraction can also be achieved by using an adder with the second operand in two’s complement, but the device’s intended function remains subtracting one number from another. For example, with A = 5 and B = 3, a subtractor yields 2.