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Dividing Decimals

Maths: Year 5 & 6 National Curriculum, topic 5.6.8

Division of Decimals Using the Bus Stop Method

You use the bus stop method to divide numbers with a decimal point.

Bus stop set up

Bus stop set up

  • I want to work out 2.64 ÷ 4.
  • I set up my 'bus stop' as you can see above.
Start by adding a decimal point

Start by adding a decimal point

  • You need to add a decimal point in line with the decimal point under the bus stop.
Start with the 'ones'

Start with the 'ones'

  • Start working from the biggest place value column.
  • This is different from methods of addition, subtraction and multiplication where you start with the smallest place value column.
2.64 ÷ 4

2.64 ÷ 4

  • For 2.64 ÷ 4, start with the 'ones'.
  • Work out how many 4s there are in 2.
  • There are zero 4s in 2.
  • The 0 goes on top of the bus stop in the 'ones' column.
  • The 2 carries onto the 'tenths' column.
Then onto the 'tenths'

Then onto the 'tenths'

  • Work out how many 4s there are in 26.
  • You work out how many 4s there are in 26 (and not 6) because the 2 has carried from the 'ones' column.
  • There are six 4s in 26 with 2 remainder.
  • The 6 goes on top of the bus stop in the 'tenths' column.
  • The remainder 2 carries onto the 'hundredths' column.
Then onto the 'hundredths'

Then onto the 'hundredths'

  • Work out how many 4s there are in 24.
  • You work out how many 4s there are in 24 (and not 4) because the 2 has carried from the 'tenths' column.
  • There are six 4s in 24 with no remainder.
  • The 6 goes on top of the bus stop in the 'hundredths' column.
The answer

The answer

  • 2.64 ÷ 4 = 0.66

Division Using the Bus Stop Method with a Remainder

Bus stop set up

Bus stop set up

  • I want to work out 3,523 ÷ 3.
  • I set up my 'bus stop' as you can see above.
Start with the 'thousands'

Start with the 'thousands'

  • Start working from the biggest place value column.
  • This is different from methods of addition, subtraction and multiplication where you start with the 'ones'.
3,523 ÷ 3

3,523 ÷ 3

  • For 3,523 ÷ 3, start with the 'thousands'.
  • Work out how many 3s there are in 3.
  • There is one 3 in 3 with no remainder.
  • The 1 goes on top of the bus stop in the 'thousands' column.
Then onto the 'hundreds'

Then onto the 'hundreds'

  • Work out how many 3s there are in 5.
  • There is one 3 in 5 with 2 remainder.
  • The 1 goes on top of the bus stop in the 'hundreds' column.
  • The remainder 2 carries onto the 'tens' column.
Then onto the 'tens'

Then onto the 'tens'

  • Work out how many 3s there are in 22.
  • You work out how many 3s there are in 22 (and not 2) because the 2 has carried from the 'hundreds' column.
  • There are seven 3s in 22 with 1 remainder.
  • The 7 goes on top of the bus stop in the 'tens' column.
  • The remainder 1 carries onto the 'ones' column.
Finally, onto the 'ones'

Finally, onto the 'ones'

  • Work out how many 3s there are in 13.
  • You work out how many 3s there are in 13 (and not 3) because the 1 has carried from the 'tens' column.
  • There are four 3s in 13 with 1 remainder.
  • The 4 goes on top of the bus stop in the 'ones' column.
  • There is 1 remainder at the end of the division.
The remainder

The remainder

  • You could show your remainder as a fraction.
  • The numerator (top number) of the fraction is the remainder.
  • The denominator (bottom number) of the fractions is what you are dividing by.
Getting your answer

Getting your answer

  • The answer to 3,523 ÷ 3 is on top of the bus stop.

Test yourself on Dividing Decimals

  • What goes in the 'thousands' column in the answer?

  • What carries onto the 'hundreds' column?

  • What goes in the 'hundreds' column in the answer?

  • What carries onto the 'tens' column?

  • What goes in the 'tens' column in the answer?

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