You've learned that if one of the digits of your dividend is less than your divisor, you put a zero above the digit on top of the division sign to say that you tried to divide it. Some numbers leave us with a remainder when we try to divide them. Let's take a look at a number line to learn how to divide numbers with remainders.
This is a number line for 6.
You can use the number line to solve a problem like this:
38 = 6 x ? + R?
This means 6 times a number plus the remainder equals 38. How do you use the number line? Notice that 38 is not a number for 6. Find the number in the number line for 6 that comes before just 38. It's 36. Count how many sixes are in 36. There are 6.
38 = 6 x 6 + R?
Add a number to 36 to get 38. What do you add to 36 to get 38? You add the number 2.
38 = 6 x 6 + R2
The number 2 is called the remainder. So 38 equals 6 times 6 plus the remainder 2 (6 × 6 + 2 = 38).
Let's look at another number line.
52 = 9 x ? + R?
The number for 9 that comes just before 52 is 45. This is the fifth number.
52 = 9 x 5 + R?
What number do you add to 45 to equal 52? That number is 7.
52 = 9 x 5 + R7
So 52 equals 9 times 5 plus the remainder 7 (9 × 5 + 7).
