Learning Objectives
- Understand division as equal sharing
- Relate division to multiplication
- Learn to divide using multiplication tables
- Solve simple division word problems
Key Concepts
What is Division?
Division means sharing things equally among a group. If you have 12 chocolates and want to share them equally among 3 friends, each friend gets 12 ÷ 3 = 4 chocolates. The sign "÷" means "divided by". Division helps us find out how many each person gets when we share equally.
Division and Multiplication are Related
Division is the opposite of multiplication. If 4 x 3 = 12, then 12 ÷ 3 = 4 and 12 ÷ 4 = 3. Knowing your multiplication tables makes division easier! When you see 20 ÷ 5, just think: "5 times what equals 20?" The answer is 4.
Equal Groups
Division can also mean making equal groups. If you have 15 apples and want to put 5 apples in each basket, you can make 15 ÷ 5 = 3 baskets. So division tells you either how many in each group or how many groups you can make.
Things to Remember
You cannot divide by 0 (it does not make sense to share among zero people). Any number divided by 1 is the same number: 8 ÷ 1 = 8. Any number divided by itself is 1: 8 ÷ 8 = 1. Zero divided by any number is 0: 0 ÷ 5 = 0.
Important Terms
- Division: Sharing a number equally into groups
- Dividend: The number being divided (shared)
- Divisor: The number you divide by (how many groups or how many in each group)
- Quotient: The answer you get after dividing
- Equal Sharing: Giving the same amount to everyone
Quick Revision
- Division is equal sharing
- Division is the opposite of multiplication
- 12 ÷ 3 = 4 because 3 x 4 = 12
- Any number ÷ 1 = the same number
- Any number ÷ itself = 1
- 0 ÷ any number = 0
- You cannot divide by 0