How to Do Division in Math
- 1). Write down the number of sets you are looking for in front of the total number you want to divide into that many sets. For example, write 3\136 if you want to divide 136 into 3 sets of smaller numbers.
- 2). Figure out how many sets of 3 are in the first number of your longer number. In the case of 136, there are 0 sets of 3 in 1. So now the 1 carries over and you now need to figure out how many sets of 3 are in 13.
- 3). Figure out how many sets of 3 there are in 13. Because 3 doesn't divide evenly into 13, you will have 4 sets of 3 and a remainder of 1. The remaining 1 carries over to the last number in the original 136. You now need to figure out many sets of 3 are in 16.
- 4). Divide the 16 into sets of 3 and you have 5 with a remainder of 1. Write down the 5 in your answer after the 4. Now there are no numbers left to divide. Your answer to the overall question is 045 (or 45), with a remainder of 1 as the number did not divide equally into sets of 3 and there was 1 left over.
- 5). Leave the problem there if this answer will do for you, but if you want an exact answer to your problem you can take the number to decimal places. To do this, place a decimal after the 136 then add a 0. So it looks like this 136.0. The remaining 1 that you were left with, you can now carry over in front of the 0 to make the number 10.
- 6). Divide the 10 into sets of 3 and you have a 3 to write down next in your answer, with 1 remaining. In your answer, also place a decimal point. Put it after the 5 and before the 3. Your answer currently looks like this 45.3. However, you still have that 1 remaining. Put another 0 after the first one. You can put as many 0s as you like after the decimal point in your initial total. It doesn't make the actual number any different. The number 136.00000 is just the same as 136 or 136.0.
- 7). Carry the 1 over again and put it in front of the next 0. Again you have 10 to divide by 3 which is 3, remainder 1. Write the 3 down next in your answer. Now you have 136.33, remainder 1. As you can see, if you carry the 1 over again in front of the next 0, you have a 10 again. So you will continue to end up with the same numbers. You will end up with a string of 3s and there will be no end to the problem. When this happens your answer is 136.33 "recurring." This means there are an infinite number of 3s.
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