Basic Division Shortcuts

Dividing by 2

 Halving:
o Example: 84÷284 \div 284÷2
 Halve each digit, starting from the left: 84→8÷2=484 \rightarrow 8 \div 2
= 484→8÷2=4, 4÷2=24 \div 2 = 24÷2=2
 Result: 84÷2=4284 \div 2 = 4284÷2=42

Dividing by 4

 Halving Twice:
o Example: 72÷472 \div 472÷4
 Halve twice: 72÷2=3672 \div 2 = 3672÷2=36, then 36÷2=1836 \div 2 =
1836÷2=18
 Result: 72÷4=1872 \div 4 = 1872÷4=18

Dividing by 5

 Multiply by 2 and Divide by 10:

o Example: 115÷5115 \div 5115÷5
 Multiply by 2: 115×2=230115 \times 2 = 230115×2=230
 Divide by 10: 230÷10=23230 \div 10 = 23230÷10=23
 Result: 115÷5=23115 \div 5 = 23115÷5=23

Dividing by 10, 100, 1000

 Move the Decimal Point:

o Example: 584÷10584 \div 10584÷10
 Move the decimal point one place to the left: 58.458.458.4
o Example: 4720÷1004720 \div 1004720÷100
 Move the decimal point two places to the left: 47.2047.2047.20

Divisibility Rules

Divisibility by 3

 Sum of Digits:
o Example: Check if 123 is divisible by 3.
 Sum of digits: 1+2+3=61 + 2 + 3 = 61+2+3=6, which is divisible by 3.
 Result: 123 is divisible by 3.

Divisibility by 4

 Last Two Digits:

 o Example: Check if 1248 is divisible by 4.
 Last two digits: 48, which is divisible by 4.
 Result: 1248 is divisible by 4.

Divisibility by 6

 Divisibility by 2 and 3:
o Example: Check if 132 is divisible by 6.
 It is even (divisible by 2) and the sum of the digits is 1+3+2=61 + 3 + 2 =
61+3+2=6, divisible by 3.
 Result: 132 is divisible by 6.

Divisibility by 8

 Last Three Digits:

o Example: Check if 1232 is divisible by 8.
 Last three digits: 232, which is divisible by 8.
 Result: 1232 is divisible by 8.

Divisibility by 9

 Sum of Digits:
o Example: Check if 729 is divisible by 9.
 Sum of digits: 7+2+9=187 + 2 + 9 = 187+2+9=18, which is divisible by 9.
 Result: 729 is divisible by 9.

Divisibility by 11

 Alternating Sum of Digits:

o Example: Check if 121 is divisible by 11.
 Alternating sum: 1−2+1=01 - 2 + 1 = 01−2+1=0, which is divisible by 11.
 Result: 121 is divisible by 11.

Fast Division by Numbers Close to Multiples of 10

Dividing by 9

 Using Repeating Decimals:

o Example: 63÷963 \div 963÷9
 63÷9=763 \div 9 = 763÷9=7

Dividing by 99

 Subtract 1 and Shift Decimal:

o Example: 495÷99495 \div 99495÷99
 Subtract 1 from 495: 495−1=494495 - 1 = 494495−1=494
  Shift decimal: 494→4.94494 \rightarrow 4.94494→4.94
 Result: 495÷99≈4.94495 \div 99 \approx 4.94495÷99≈4.94

Advanced Division Shortcuts

Using Multiples and Subtraction

 Breaking Down the Dividend:

o Example: 432÷16432 \div 16432÷16
 Break down: 432→160×2=320432 \rightarrow 160 \times 2 =
320432→160×2=320 and 320+112=432320 + 112 = 432320+112=432
 Divide: 320÷16=20320 \div 16 = 20320÷16=20 and 112÷16=7112 \div 16
= 7112÷16=7
 Combine: 20+7=2720 + 7 = 2720+7=27
 Result: 432÷16=27432 \div 16 = 27432÷16=27

Using Estimation

 Estimating and Adjusting:

o Example: 850÷14850 \div 14850÷14
 Estimate: 850÷14≈60850 \div 14 \approx 60850÷14≈60
 Calculate: 60×14=84060 \times 14 = 84060×14=840
 Adjust: 850−840=10850 - 840 = 10850−840=10
 Final result: 60+1014≈60.7160 + \frac{10}{14} \approx 60.7160+1410
≈60.71
 Result: 850÷14≈60.71850 \div 14 \approx 60.71850÷14≈60.71

Dividing by Repeated Factors

 Using Factorization:
o Example: 144÷12144 \div 12144÷12
 Factorize: 12=4×312 = 4 \times 312=4×3
 Divide in steps: 144÷4=36144 \div 4 = 36144÷4=36, then 36÷3=1236 \div
3 = 1236÷3=12
 Result: 144÷12=12144 \div 12 = 12144÷12=12

Decimal Division Shortcuts

Simplifying Decimal Division

 Converting to Whole Numbers:

o Example: 4.2÷0.74.2 \div 0.74.2÷0.7
 Multiply both numbers by 10 to remove the decimal: 42÷7=642 \div 7 =
642÷7=6
 Result: 4.2÷0.7=64.2 \div 0.7 = 64.2÷0.7=6
Long Division with Decimals

 Aligning Decimals:
o Example: 15.75÷315.75 \div 315.75÷3
 Divide normally and place the decimal point directly above its position in
the dividend.
 Result: 15.75÷3=5.2515.75 \div 3 = 5.2515.75÷3=5.25

Using Remainders

Division with Remainders

 Finding Quotients and Remainders:

o Example: 47÷547 \div 547÷5
 Perform division: 47÷5=947 \div 5 = 947÷5=9 remainder 222
 Result: 47÷5=9R247 \div 5 = 9 R247÷5=9R2