3-7 Division

Operations:  Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are called operations.

Subtraction is the opposite of addition.  We refer to addition and subtraction as opposite operations.

The opposite operation of multiplication is division.  Let's see how it works.

Here is an example of a division problem.

Tony has 12 apples.  He wants to divide them into groups of 4.  How many groups will he have?  Look below.

12 -:- 4 = 3

This is a division problem because you have to divide the 12 apples into groups of 4 to solve it.

How many groups of 4 are in 12?  There are 3 fours in 12.

So, Tony will have 3 groups of 4 apples.

You write this division problem like this: 12 -:- 4 = 3 and we read it like this, "twelve divided by four equals three."

This sign, -:- , means "divided by" and shows that you are dividing. 

Since multiplication and division are opposite operations, the easiest way to solve a division problem is to think of multiplication.

Here is an example:  What is 12 -:- 4?  You want to know how many fours there are in 12.  Think multiplication!

What number times 4 equals 12?  3 X 4 = 12, so 12 -:- 4 = 3.   The answer to a division problem is called the quotient.

Practice division.  Remember think multiplication.  Fill in the missing quotients.

4 -:- 2 =	6 -:- 3 =	12 -:-  2 =
12 -:-  4 =	10 -:- 2 =	14 -:- 2 =
10 -:- 5 =	9 -:-  3 =	8 -:- 4 =
15 -:- 3 =	18 -:- 9 =	15 -:- 5 =
14 -:- 7 =	6 -:- 2 =	12 -:- 6 =
24 -:- 6 =	36 -:- 9 =	21 -:- 7 =
28 -:- 4 =	18 -:- 2 =	32 -:- 8 =
40 -:- 8 =	24 -:- 4 =	28 -:- 7 =
45 -:- 9 =	54 -:- 9 =	63 -:- 7 =
54 -:- 6 =	32 -:- 4 =	72 -:- 8 =