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39
UNIT
5
Dividing Whole
Numbers
Objectives
After studying this unit, you will be able to:
▪ Practice the method used to divide whole numbers.
▪
Solve division problems with remainders.
▪ Check division problems with multiplication.
▪
Solve division problems with denominate numbers.
Division
is the last of the four basic mathematical operations. While subtraction
was thought of as the inverse of addition, division is thought of as the inverse of
multiplication. Division is the operation of separating a quantity into a specifi c
number of equally sized portions. For example, if you needed to know how many
times 7 can go into 84, this can be determined by subtracting 7 multiple times. After
multiple steps of subtraction problems, we determine that 7 can go into 84 a total of
12 times:
(1) 84 – 7 = 77
(2) 77 – 7 = 70
(3) 70 – 7 = 63
(4) 63 – 7 = 56
(5) 56 – 7 = 49
(6) 49 – 7 = 42
(7) 42 – 7 = 35
(8) 35 – 7 = 28
(9) 28 – 7 = 21
(10) 21 – 7 = 14
(11) 14 – 7 = 7
(12) 7 – 7 = 0
Using division, this problem can be solved much faster and with fewer steps.
A division sign (÷) is placed between the numbers to signify a division problem.