Long Division

Division as sharing

Division answers the question: “How many groups?” or “How many in each group?”

96 ÷ 4 means: share 96 equally into 4 groups. Each group gets 24.

The long division algorithm

Here’s how to divide 846 ÷ 3 step by step:

Step 1: Divide — How many times does 3 go into 8? 2 times (2 × 3 = 6)

Step 2: Multiply — 2 × 3 = 6. Write 6 under the 8.

Step 3: Subtract — 8 − 6 = 2

Step 4: Bring down — Bring down the 4 to get 24

Repeat: 3 goes into 24 eight times. 24 − 24 = 0. Bring down 6.

3 goes into 6 two times. 6 − 6 = 0.

Answer: 282

Memory aid: Divide, Multiply, Subtract, Bring down — repeat!

Remainders

Sometimes division doesn’t come out even.

17 ÷ 5 = 3 remainder 2 (written as 3 r 2)

Because 5 × 3 = 15, and 17 − 15 = 2 left over.

What does the remainder mean?

It depends on the problem:

• “How many full buses?” → Ignore the remainder (or add one more bus!)
• “How many left over?” → The remainder is your answer
• “What’s the exact answer?” → Write it as a fraction: 17 ÷ 5 = 3 2/5

Practice

Challenge