Divide larger numbers: word problems

Understanding Division in Word Problems:

• Division is used to split or share things equally.
• In word problems, look for clues like “shared equally,” “per group,” or “each person” to identify division.
• Larger numbers can be divided using long division or estimation.

Steps to Solve Division Word Problems:

Read the Problem Carefully:

• Identify what the problem is asking for. Look for numbers and key division words.

Identify Dividend and Divisor:

• Dividend is the larger number (total amount).
• Divisor is the smaller number (the number of groups or items per group).

Set Up the Division Equation:

• Translate the word problem into a division equation (e.g., total items ÷ number of groups = items per group).

Solve Using Long Division:

• Divide the numbers step by step.
• If there’s a remainder, interpret it based on the word problem context.

Check Your Answer:

• Re-read the question and see if your answer makes sense.

Common Clues in Word Problems:

• “Split into” (e.g., 24 apples split into 4 baskets).
• “Each person gets” (e.g., how many cookies each person gets from a batch of 100).
• “Per group” (e.g., how many candies per group if there are 5 groups and 45 candies).

Word Problems with Remainders:

When division doesn’t result in a whole number, you’ll have a remainder.

Example: 25 students need to be seated at tables with 4 students per table. How many tables are needed?

• Solution: 25 ÷ 4 = 6 remainder 1. The remainder means 1 extra student will need another table, so 7 tables are needed.

Strategies to Simplify Larger Numbers:

• Estimation: Round large numbers to simplify calculations (e.g., round 542 ÷ 9 to 540 ÷ 9).
• Break into Smaller Parts: Break large division problems into simpler steps (e.g., divide 900 by 3 by first dividing 900 by 10, then by 3).

Learn with an example