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Dividing by whole
numbers
You divide decimal numbers the same way you multiply whole
numbers with one additional rule:
Example: Divide 33.28 by 4 =
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8.
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3
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2
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4
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3
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3.
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2
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8
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3
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2
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1
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2
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1
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2
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0
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8
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0
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8
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0
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See how we placed the decimal point in the answer right
above the decimal point in the dividend?
Then we divided 3328 by 4. The answer is 8.32
Remember: You need to write your numbers neatly!!!
Dividing by decimal
numbers
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When dividing by decimal numbers, first move the decimal
point in the divisor all the way to the right so we make the divisor a
whole number.
Count how many places you moved the decimal point. Remember,
if there are 3 decimal places in the divisor, you will move the decimal
point 3 places to the right. This is the same as multiplying the divisor by
1,000.
Now move the decimal point in the dividend the same
number of places, 3 in this example. That is the same as multiplying the
dividend by 1,000. If we multiply the dividend and the divisor by the same
number, the quotient will be the same as the quotient of the original
numbers.
Finally, place the decimal of the quotient directly
above the decimal that you just moved in the dividend.
Here is an example:
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Example: Divide 35.532 by 4.2 =
First, we have to move the decimal point in the divisor 1
place to the right. That will make the divisor a whole number, 42.
Next, we move the decimal in
the dividend 1 place to the right. Now we are dividing a decimal by a whole
number and we proceed as above:
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8.
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4
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6
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4
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2
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3
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5
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5.
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3
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2
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3
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3
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6
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1
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9
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3
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1
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6
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8
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2
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5
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2
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2
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5
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2
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