Dividing by less than 1
Show on a big screenA rope is 3 m long. How many pieces of 0.5 m can you cut from it?
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- A rope 3 m long.
- Pieces of 1 m make 3 pieces.
- Pieces of 0.5 m make 6 pieces.
- Pieces of 0.25 m make 12 pieces.
The rule
You can cut 6 pieces. Each metre gives 2 pieces of 0.5 m.
The number being divided is the dividend. The number you divide by is the divisor. The answer is the quotient.
Every number here is above 0. Look at the divisor.
A divisor below 1 makes a number above 0 grow. Above 1 it shrinks. At 1 nothing changes.
A divisor below 1 is a small piece. So more small pieces fit.
Check the size first. 9.8 ÷ 0.5 must be more than 9.8. It is 19.6.
| You divide by | The quotient is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A number below 1 | More than the dividend | 3 ÷ 0.5 = 6 |
| 1 | The same as the dividend | 3 ÷ 1 = 3 |
| A number above 1 | Less than the dividend | 3 ÷ 1.5 = 2 |
Two moves to remember. Dividing by 0.1 gives the same answer as multiplying by 10. Dividing by 0.01 gives the same answer as multiplying by 100.
Ten pieces of 0.1 fit in 1. A hundred pieces of 0.01 fit in 1.
12 ÷ 0.1 = 120, and 12 × 10 = 120.
Try the lab to finish this lesson.