How to Divide Decimals- EDP 279

How to Divide Numbers With Decimals

Make the divisor (number on the outside) a whole number by moving the decimal to the right as many times as needed. In this example, it is only needed to be moved once to the right.

Move the decimal of the dividend (number inside) to the right the same amount of times as you did in the first step. In this example, you would only move it once.

You begin to divide normally next. You start with 38 going into 161 4 times. After multiplying 38 by 4 you get 152, and 161-152=9. You would then bring down the 4, which results in 94. 38 goes into 94 2 times, and 38x2=76. 94-76=18, and then you bring down the 6. 38 goes into 186 4 times, which leads to 186-152. 186-152=34, and then you bring down the 2. 38 goes into 342 9 times, and 38x9=342. 342-342=0, which means you have no remainder.

After you have your answer, your next step is to move the decimal inside directly up. This results in giving you the final answer. In this case, the decimal falls between the 6 and the 2. Moving it upwards puts it between the 4 and the 9, giving you a final answer of 424.9

The final step is to check your work. This can be done by multiplying your answer by the divisor, or the number on the outside. For this example, you would multiply 424.9 by 3.8. The answer you should get is 1614.62.