Long division involves a systematic method for dividing larger numbers by smaller ones. Here are the four main steps of the long division process:
Step 1: Divide
- Look at the first digits of the dividend (the number being divided) to see how many times the divisor (the number you're dividing by) can fit into that portion. Write the quotient (the result of the division) above the dividend.
Step 2: Multiply
- Multiply the divisor by the quotient you just found. Write this result below the portion of the dividend you were considering in Step 1.
Step 3: Subtract
- Subtract the result from the previous step (the multiplication result) from that portion of the dividend. Write down the result (the remainder) below.
Step 4: Bring Down
- Bring down the next digit of the dividend next to the remainder you obtained in Step 3. Now you repeat the process (steps 1 to 4) with this new number.
Example
Let’s do a long division example: Divide 432 by 6.
- Divide: How many times does 6 go into 43? It goes 7 times (since 6 x 7 = 42).
- Multiply: 7 x 6 = 42.
- Subtract: 43 - 42 = 1 (the remainder).
- Bring Down: Bring down the next digit, which is 2, making it 12.
Repeat the process for 12:
- Divide: 6 goes into 12 two times.
- Multiply: 2 x 6 = 12.
- Subtract: 12 - 12 = 0 (the remainder).
- Bring Down: There are no more digits to bring down.
The final result is 72 with no remainder, so 432 ÷ 6 = 72.
You can continue this process until all digits in the dividend are used, or until you reach a remainder of zero.