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Stage 18 of 20

Division Basics

Division asks "how many groups?" or "what times the divisor equals the dividend?" Your multiplication tables are the key to fast mental division.

What You'll Learn

  • Divide single-digit into two-digit numbers using known facts
  • Recognize division as inverse multiplication
  • Handle remainders conceptually

Explanation

To solve 56 ÷ 7, ask: "7 times what equals 56?" From your tables: 7 × 8 = 56, so the answer is 8.

For 45 ÷ 9: 9 × 5 = 45, so 45 ÷ 9 = 5. Every multiplication fact is also a division fact.

When division is not exact, the remainder is what is left over. 50 ÷ 7 = 7 remainder 1, because 7 × 7 = 49 and 50 − 49 = 1.

Break large dividends into parts: 84 ÷ 4 = (80 ÷ 4) + (4 ÷ 4) = 20 + 1 = 21.

Pro Tips

  • • Always think multiplication first: "what do I multiply by?"
  • • For dividing by 4, halve twice. For dividing by 8, halve three times.
  • • Estimate: 56 ÷ 7 should be near 8 because 7 × 8 = 56.

Practice Exercises

Work through each problem mentally. Click "Show Answer" when you're ready to check.

  1. 1. 56 ÷ 7 = ?
  2. 2. 45 ÷ 9 = ?
  3. 3. 72 ÷ 8 = ?
  4. 4. 63 ÷ 7 = ?
  5. 5. 48 ÷ 6 = ?
  6. 6. 81 ÷ 9 = ?
  7. 7. 36 ÷ 4 = ?
  8. 8. 54 ÷ 6 = ?
  9. 9. 84 ÷ 7 = ?
  10. 10. 96 ÷ 8 = ?