Division — introduction

After multiplication you'll meet another new operation — division. It's the opposite of multiplication. Where multiplication joins equal groups together, division splits them apart.

When we need division

Picture 12 sweets that you want to share fairly between 3 children. How many sweets does each child get?

This is division. We write it:

12 ÷ 3 = 4

We read: "twelve divided by three equals four". The sign ÷ means divide.

Words you'll remember

• Division — the operation.
• Dividend — the number being divided (12 in the example above).
• Divisor — the number we divide by (3).
• Quotient — the result of dividing (4).

In 12 ÷ 3 = 4:

• 12 is the dividend.
• 3 is the divisor.
• 4 is the quotient.

Two ways of thinking about division

1. Sharing equally (into how many groups?).

"12 sweets shared between 3 children. How many does each get?"

2. How many groups fit (with how many in each)?

"12 sweets put into bags of 3. How many bags?"

Both give the same computation (12 ÷ 3 = 4), but they describe different situations.

Division and multiplication go together

Division and multiplication are two sides of the same coin. If you know 3 × 4 = 12, you immediately also know:

• 12 ÷ 3 = 4
• 12 ÷ 4 = 3

That means you don't have to memorise division on its own — knowing the times tables is enough.

What you'll learn in this topic

The next articles will show you:

• Division as sharing — where it all comes from.
• Easy division: 2, 5, 10 — the simplest tables.
• The link between multiplication and division — fact families.
• For parents — how to practise at home.

Summary

• Division is splitting into equal groups.
• We use the sign ÷.
• Words: dividend ÷ divisor = quotient.
• Division is the opposite of multiplication — they're a matching pair.