do it as digit by digit if the number you are dividing up is a large number that means the more steps there are. for example lets use 4¬036 which the answer isn't on the times tables in fact far from it. so you don't do it all at once you take it in steps by dividing each digit by 4 as you should know we start from the we always start with the smallest digit the1s place digit and we work from right to left. well division is backwards we still go digit by digit but the other way so left to right. so what do we do.
we divide 9 by 4 so you go as close as you can to the nine which is 8 but you put the 2 in the answer spot and where do you put it? it goes above the digit we are dividing so In the case it would go above the 9. so now we multiply so( 2x4 =8) the 8 goes below the nine so we can subtract to get a reminder and 9-8 is 1 so the remainder is one. now we start with the three.
you would think that you divide the 3 by the 4 but its not so simple we had a remainder on our last step and we cant just forget about that. we need to combine the remainder with our digit and divide them both together. we do that by making a copy and bring down to the remainder and it makes it look like our remainder is 13 its kind of like our remainder is teaming up with the next digit over and that actually makes sense because the digits that we were ignoring on our first division step are apart of it as we still need to divide them. so now the remainder is bigger which is good because 1 is so small 4 cant divide into it but it can divide into thirteen and again we get as close to the number as possible which is 12 (3x4=12) and of course you put the three above the other three and the we multiply again so 3 x 4 is 12 which we put right below the 13so we can subtract to get the next remainder which is. do you see that we are just repeating the basic division proseadure but going down the paper or what you are using. as we have a new remainder we start the new division step now we stop ignoring the 6.
we bring that down to the new remainder 1 to make 16 which is good as 16 is in the 4 times table. it takes exactly 4x4 to make 16 so we put a 4 on the answer line next to the 2 and 3and we put the 16 under our new remainder of 16 now we do 16-16 to make 0 which means there is no more remainder left which means that we have done the long division problem digit by digit by breaking the problem into 3 steps and the answer is 234.
so the problem has 3 digits and three steps but the number of steps may not be the same as there are digits because it depend how big our divisor is. to show this we are going to do 2 division problems side by side. that look like the normal 1 step division but only 1 is a 1 step the other is a 2 step they are 8 divided by 72 and 3 divided by 72 so lets look at 8 divided by 72. first so we do 8x72 and 72 is in the 8 times table it is 8x9 so you put the nine over the 2 and we put 72 below and subtract it which is 0 so now we try 3 divided by 72. 72 is not apart of the 3 times table and this is the 2 step problem lets use the digit by digit method we just used instead of asking how many 3s go into 72 we ask how many 3s go into 7 the closest number is 6 (2x3) so put the 2 above the seven and then we subtract 6 from 7 to make our remainder of 1 and for step 2 you make a copy of the 2 and bring it next to the 1to make a remainder of 12 then we ask how many 3s go into 12 which is 4 and you put the four above the 2 then you put 12 under your remainder of 12 to subtract it to make 0 so the answer to 72 divided by 3 is 24. we could have also done 8 divided by 72 as a 2 part question if you took it digit by digit you would have done how many 8s go into 7 which is 0 and you would put the 0 above the 7and the remainder would be seven so we would just skip that step so if the number is less then the divisor then put a 0 and move on to the next step.so now lets long one how about 5 divided by 315270 it looks and sounds difficult but if you use the digit by digit method it is quite easy so lets get started
the first digit Is three and 5 doesn't divide into 3 so you put a 0 above and now you combine your first digit with your second digit so how many times does 5 go into 31 6 and you put the 6 above the as 6x5 is 30 and 31 - 30 is 1now onto the 5 we bring a copy of it down to the 1 to make 15 and we ask how many times does 5 go into 15 3times so we add the 3 to above the 5 now we do 15 x15 which is 0 now we go to the 2 now even though our previous remainder was 0 we still bring down the 2 now we ask how many times does 2 go into 5 it doesn't so you put a 0 above the 2 now we go to the 7 which we bring down next To the 2 and now we ask how many times does 5 go into 27 5 so you put the 5 above the 7now you do 27-25 which is 2 now you move on to the last digit 0 you may think bringing the 0 down is pointless by that is very important as it makes the 2 into a 20 and now we do how many times does 5 go into 20 which is 4 so we put the 4 above the 0 and now you to 20 -20 to equal 0 which means we have finished the equation. so the final answer is 63054 here is a few tips.
1. memorize the multiplication table.
2. try to write as clear and as neatly as you can because if you don't your colloms may get messed up and you put the wrong things in the wrong places and if you do have and issue try to use graph paper to keep them straight.
3. try smaller ones and work your way up.
4.after every practise one you do check it with a calculator.
