How to Solve Problems Using Long Division

Description

A detailed tutorial on how to solve problems using long division. Step by step tutorial including several examples of long division for reference.

Overview

Long division is the first method students learn to solve division problems. The process looks complicated but long division is much easier than any other method. Long division involves drawing a symbol that looks a lot like a square root symbol, putting the divisor on the outside (to the left) and the dividend on the inside (under the line of the symbol). The divisor should be smaller number than the dividend. Basically, you take each number of the dividend seperately and ask how many times the divisor will go into it. If the number is too small put the second number onto it (for example, if your number is 183, and 1 is too small, then you look at the number 18). Let’s say the divisor will go into the number 3 times. Write 3 on the top of the line and subtract your divisor * 3 from the number you used to find that. Sometimes the difference is 0, but usually it isn’t. Keep on adding the next number in the dividend with it until you get to the last number, at which point you must add on the remainder in a decimal point. Long division is also a way to convert fractions into decimals if changing the denominator to 100 is impossible. When you do this, the numerator becomes the dividend and the denominator becomes the divisor.