Difference between revisions of "Division"
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=== Definition === | === Definition === | ||
Revision as of 14:42, 22 January 2020
In mathematics, division is an arithmetic operation which is the inverse of multiplication.
Contents
Overview
Division is the inverse of multiplication. Thus, 
Definition
If 
and 
, then 
, where 
is the dividend, 
is the divisor, and 
is the quotient.
Process
The most common division algorithm used is with long division, a process that divides parts of numbers. Long division "breaks" up the number to make division simpler.
19
6)114
-6
54
-54
0
Conventions
If the quotient is not a whole number, it is usually written in decimal form: 
. Sometimes, it is written with its remainder: 
.
Dividing Special Numbers
Fractions
If you divide by a fraction, multiply the dividend by the divisor's reciprocal (Note: You will see a definition of a reciprocal if you go to the article Ordinary Multiplication).
For instance: 
Decimals
When dividing by decimals, multiply both sides by a power of 10 so the divisor is an integer.
For instance: 
One and Itself
Any number divided by one equals itself. Similarly, any number divided by itself equals one.
For instance: 
and 
Zero
Division by 
is undefined. Equations where any values is divided by will become undefined also.
