Chapter 3 · Decimals and percents · page 15 of 68
Dividing by a decimal
levelPre-algebra
standard6.NS.B.3
practiceDecimals and percents
You cannot easily divide by 0.25, but you can divide by 25. Move the decimal point the same number of places in both numbers and the answer does not change, because you multiplied top and bottom by the same power of ten.
How to use it
- Count the decimal places in the divisor, the number you are dividing by.
- Move the point that many places to the right in both numbers.
- Divide.
Example
Where it goes wrong
- Moving the point in only one of the numbers.
- Expecting division to make things smaller. Dividing by a number less than 1 makes the answer bigger.