Pet & Animal: How to Divide a Whole Number by a Decimal

Thursday, 5 February 2015

How to Divide a Whole Number by a Decimal

Dividing numbers by hand or on a calculator becomes more complicated when you use fractions or decimals in the arithmetic. When you divide a whole numerator by a decimal denominator, you need to add decimal places to solve for the quotient.

Steps

Converting the Numbers

Write out your division problem on a piece of paper. Use pencil in case you want to revise your work. For example, 8 / 0.62.
- The numerator is the number you are dividing. This is also the top number in a fraction.
- The denominator is the number you are dividing by. This is also the bottom number in a fraction.
- The quotient is the solution to the math problem.

Understand that whatever changes you make to the decimal in the denominator (0.62), you must make to the numerator (8). This guarantees that the value does not change.^[1]

Write the numerator with decimals after the whole number. For example, 8.00. This is a good way to see how a whole number functions as a decimal without changing the value.

Shift the decimal of the denominator 2 places to the right to make it a whole number. For example, 0.62 becomes 62.

Adjust the numerator by 2 decimal places. For example, 8.00 becomes 800.

Dividing the Whole Numbers

Rewrite your equation with your whole numbers. For example, 800 / 62. Notice that 8 / 0.62 is the same equation as 800 / 62.^[2]

Use your long division skills to divide the new numbers or punch in the values on your calculator.

Solve for the quotient. In our example problem, the answer is 12.9. You don’t need to add any decimal places back into the answer because the values of the decimal equation and the whole number equation are exactly the same.