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Follow a step-by-step process to divide large numbers into equal groups.
Imagine you have 1,248 gold coins to share equally among 4 treasure hunters. How can you find out exactly how many coins each person gets without counting them one by one for hours?
To master long division, you just need to remember a 'family' of four steps. Each family member tells you what to do next: Dad (Divide), Mom (Multiply), Sister (Subtract), and Brother (Bring Down). We call this DMSB. When you finish with the Brother, you start over with the Dad until there are no more numbers left to bring down. The number you are dividing is the dividend (inside the house), and the number you divide by is the divisor (outside the house).
Let's solve : 1. Divide: How many times does go into ? It goes times. Write on top. 2. Multiply: . Write under the . 3. Subtract: . 4. Bring Down: Bring down the . Now we have . 5. Repeat: How many times does go into ? time. Write on top. 6. Final Answer: The quotient is .
Quick Check
What are the four steps of the 'Division Family' in order?
Answer
Divide, Multiply, Subtract, and Bring Down.
Dividing a large number like works exactly the same way as a small number! You just repeat the DMSB cycle more times. You start from the left-most digit. If the divisor is bigger than the first digit, you look at the first two digits together. For example, if you are dividing by , doesn't go into , so you start by asking how many times goes into .
Solve : 1. Divide: goes into exactly times. Write above the . 2. Multiply: . 3. Subtract: . 4. Bring Down: Bring down the . 5. Repeat: goes into exactly time. Write above the . 6. Multiply/Subtract: ; . 7. Bring Down: Bring down the . 8. Repeat: goes into exactly times. Write above the . 9. Final Answer: .
Quick Check
If you subtract and get a number larger than your divisor, what should you do?
Answer
You need to go back to the 'Divide' step; the divisor could have gone into the number more times.
Sometimes, numbers don't divide perfectly. After you have brought down the very last digit and finished your subtraction, you might have a small number left over. This is called the remainder. We write it with an '' next to the quotient. For example, if you have cookies for friends, everyone gets cookies, and there is left over. We write this as .
Solve : 1. goes into once (). . 2. Bring down to make . goes into seven times (). . 3. Bring down to make . goes into four times (). . 4. Bring down to make . goes into four times (). . 5. No more numbers to bring down! The is our remainder. 6. Final Answer: .
In the problem , what is the dividend?
What is the correct order of steps in long division?
The remainder can be larger than the divisor.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, try to write down the four names of the 'Division Family' and what math step each one represents.
Practice Activity
Find a receipt or a book page number and try to divide that 3 or 4-digit number by your age!