Dividing Decimals Animations

How to Divide Decimals

Dividing Decimals (read that page if you want) has two steps:

Use Long Division (ignoring the decimal point)
Then put the decimal point directly above the decimal point in the dividend (the number being divided)

It is easy to show in an animation (press the play button):

This only works when dividing by a whole number ...

... but we can easily change the divisor to a whole number by shifting over one (or more) spaces for both numbers:

Why does this work? Because shifting both numbers by one space is the same as multiplying both by 10 (like simplifying or expanding a fraction: 1.50.5 = 155 = 3). The answer stays exactly the same!

Practice

Now, practice on these Decimal Worksheets.