How to Do Division Using Repeated Subtraction
Division using repeated subtraction involves subtracting the divisor from the dividend repeatedly until the dividend is less than the divisor. The number of times you subtract is the quotient, and the final number is the remainder.
A Step-by-step Guide to Doing Division Using Repeated Subtraction
Division using repeated subtraction is a basic mathematical concept that involves subtracting the divisor from the dividend repeatedly until you can’t subtract any more without getting a negative number. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Understand the Problem
If you have a problem like \(12÷4\), here 12 is your dividend (the number being divided) and 4 is your divisor (the number you are dividing by).
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Step 2: Subtract the Divisor from the Dividend
Subtract the divisor from the dividend. In this example, subtract 4 from 12. You get 8.
Step 3: Keep Track of the Count
You have subtracted once. So, keep a count of 1.
Step 4: Repeat the Subtraction
Subtract the divisor from the remaining dividend. In this case, subtract 4 from 8 (the result of your previous subtraction). You get 4.
Step 5: Update the Count
You have subtracted once again. So, update your count from 1 to 2.
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Step 6: Continue the Process
Keep repeating Steps 4 and 5 until you can’t subtract the divisor from the remaining dividend without getting a negative number. In this case, you can subtract 4 from 4 and get 0.
Step 7: Final Count is Your Answer
The final count represents the number of times you subtracted the divisor from the dividend. This is your answer. In this case, you subtracted 3 times, so \(12÷4=3\)
Step 8: Check for a Remainder
If you can’t subtract the divisor from the dividend anymore without getting a negative number and the remaining dividend is not zero, then the remaining dividend is your reminder. In this case, the remaining dividend is 0, so there’s no remainder.
Remember, the method of division using repeated subtraction works best for smaller numbers. For larger numbers, other methods such as long division or synthetic division may be more efficient.
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