Division Concept

Grade 3 · mathematics · 93 practice problems · read aloud

🔊 Listen to this explanation

What is Division? ➗

Division is a way to share or split things into equal groups. It's the opposite of multiplication! We use it to make things fair, like sharing cookies with friends or putting students into teams.

How to Solve Division Problems

  1. Identify the Total: How many items do you have in total?
  2. Identify the Groups: How many equal groups are you splitting them into?
  3. Share Equally: Share one item at a time into each group until you run out.
  4. Find the Answer: The number of items in each group is your answer!

Let's See It In Action!

Example 1: Sharing Stickers

You have 12 stickers and 3 friends. How many stickers does each friend get?

Step 1: Total = 12 stickers.
Step 2: Groups = 3 friends.
Step 3: Share: 12 ÷ 3 = ?
Step 4: Answer: 4 stickers each! ✅

Example 2: Team Members

There are 20 students and 5 teams. How many students on each team?

Step 1: Total = 20 students.
Step 2: Groups = 5 teams.
Step 3: Share: 20 ÷ 5 = ?
Step 4: Answer: 4 students per team! ✅

Watch Out! Common Mistakes

Mixing up the numbers: Remember, the total (the bigger number) always goes first! 15 ÷ 3 is not the same as 3 ÷ 15.

Unequal Groups: Division is all about making groups equal. If the groups aren't the same size, you can't use division.

Tips & Tricks 🧠

  • Think of Multiplication: If you know 4 x 6 = 24, then you know 24 ÷ 6 = 4!
  • Draw a Picture: Dots or circles can help you see the groups.
  • Keywords: Words like "share," "split," "each," and "equal groups" often mean it's a division problem.

Time to Practice!

Try these ideas to get better at division:

  • Use small objects like cereal pieces or blocks to act out problems.
  • Ask a family member: "If we have 18 grapes and 3 people, how many do we get each?"
  • Practice with flash cards: 16 ÷ 4, 21 ÷ 3, 10 ÷ 2.

Practice problems

6 of the 93, worked through step by step — try them before opening the answer.

1 A farmer arranges 72 apples into 8 equal rows. How many apples are in each row?

Hint: Think about how you would share a different number of items equally among a different number of groups. What operation helps you find how many items go in each group?

Show the answer

Answer: 9

  1. Understand the problem. If the apples are divided equally into 8 rows, then the number of apples in each row is the total apples divided by the number of rows.
  2. Write the division expression. Total apples = 72 Number of rows = 8 Apples per row = 72 ÷ 8
  3. Perform the division. We know that 8 × 9 = 72. So, 72 ÷ 8 = 9.
  4. Interpret the result. This means there are 9 apples in each row.
  5. Verify. If each row has 9 apples and there are 8 rows, then total apples = 9 × 8 = 72, which matches the problem. Final answer: 9

We are told that a farmer arranges 72 apples into 8 equal rows. We need to find how many apples are in each row.

2 Mere shares 84 shells equally among 7 friends. How many shells does each friend get?

Hint: Think about splitting the total number of shells into 7 equal groups. Imagine giving one shell to each friend in a round until all shells are gone.

Show the answer

Answer: 12

  1. Mere has 84 shells total.
  2. She shares them equally among 7 friends.
  3. To find how many each friend gets, divide the total shells by the number of friends: 84 ÷ 7.
  4. 84 ÷ 7 = 12. Each friend gets 12 shells.

3 Tane shares 84 shells equally among 7 friends. How many shells does each friend get?

Hint: Think about splitting the total number of shells into 7 equal groups. Imagine handing out one shell to each friend at a time until all shells are gone.

Show the answer

Answer: 12

  1. Tane has 84 shells total.
  2. He shares them equally among 7 friends.
  3. To find how many each friend gets, divide the total shells by the number of friends: 84 ÷ 7.
  4. 84 ÷ 7 = 12. Each friend gets 12 shells.

4 Aroha shares 96 shells equally among 8 friends. How many shells does each friend get?

Hint: Think about dividing the total number of items into equal groups. For example, if you had 20 candies and 4 friends, you would split them evenly.

Show the answer

Answer: 12

  1. Aroha has 96 shells total.
  2. She shares them equally among 8 friends.
  3. To find how many each friend gets, divide the total shells by the number of friends: 96 ÷ 8.
  4. 96 ÷ 8 = 12. Each friend gets 12 shells.

5 Matiu shares 84 shells equally among 7 friends. How many shells does each friend get?

Hint: Think about splitting the total number of shells into 7 equal groups. You can use skip counting or think of a multiplication fact that helps you find how many shells are in each group.

Show the answer

Answer: 12

  1. Matiu has 84 shells total.
  2. He shares them equally among 7 friends.
  3. To find how many each friend gets, divide the total shells by the number of friends: 84 ÷ 7.
  4. Think of the multiplication fact: 7 × 12 = 84, so 84 ÷ 7 = 12. Each friend gets 12 shells.

6 Aroha shares 54 shells equally among 9 friends. How many shells does each friend get?

Hint: Think about splitting the total number of shells into 9 equal groups. Imagine giving one shell to each friend in a round until all shells are gone.

Show the answer

Answer: 6

  1. Aroha has 54 shells total.
  2. She shares them equally among 9 friends.
  3. To find how many each friend gets, divide the total shells by the number of friends: 54 ÷ 9.
  4. 54 ÷ 9 = 6. Each friend gets 6 shells.
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