MathFoundations8: Division

The most challenging of the four basic operations, division is a source of confusion for millions of students. Here we explain why division is really repeated subtraction. Then we prove some basic division rules, and give a simplified form of long division---something every student should learn!

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Foundations
• mathematics
• arithmetic
• division
• long
• repeated
• subtraction

[gimposer]

Thank you for putting up a video of this wonderful method of long division... My teacher had taught me this method when I was a kid in junior school some 35+ yrs ago... he was a scholar... and no one ever taught it again and as you mentioned no text books mention this method either... I have since been wanting to refresh this method in my mind and to teach my kids as well... but had forgotten... you have given me a very precious gift... thank you so very much,..

[njwildberger]

@gimposer Hi, thanks for that. It is interesting that your teacher used this method. I wonder if this approach would have been more well-known in years gone by. Makes one think about what knowledge gets slowly lost over the years.

[HelluKirry]

I couldn't agree more on how calculators and computers are incredibly unnecessary and are even "evil" as you stated in your previous video. I'm currently teaching my niece from the beginning and your videos have been extremely useful to me to know where to start. As you might know, teaching her long division is dreaded for her since she doesn't even know the 12x12 multiplication table.I'm trying to cut the problem from the start before it meddles her future even more. I thank you for your videos

[HelluKirry]

I have found myself with a familiar anguish against now a days Schooling system and their ignorance towards not prioritizing basic foundations of math. What I mean by this, is teachers who don't drill the times table in their students and find other "importance" in other math advancements. It's embarrassing to say, most teens and even entry level College students whip out a calculator for simple multiplication problems. They turn to the calculator on their phones.

[mathgeek37]

To make the algorithm efficient, I would use front-end estimation. Say 2166 / 38 => 21 / 3 = 7 thus 2166 / 38 ~= 70.

Would that help maybe?

[SasukeHatergirl4]

Thank you! My Younger Siblings learned something! You are a great teacher!

[darkrenerd]

gr8 vid, my lil bro found this very usefull