Division of Numbers — Grade 1 Mathematics
Division is all about sharing equally or splitting into equal groups. If you have 12 sweets and want to share them equally among 3 friends, division tells you exactly how many each person gets. Division is the opposite of multiplication!
Understanding Division
Division splits a total into equal groups.
We use the division sign (÷) and the equals sign (=).
12 ÷ 3 = 4 means "12 shared equally among 3 gives 4 each."
The number being divided is called the dividend.
The number we divide by is called the divisor.
The answer is called the quotient.
We use the division sign (÷) and the equals sign (=).
12 ÷ 3 = 4 means "12 shared equally among 3 gives 4 each."
The number being divided is called the dividend.
The number we divide by is called the divisor.
The answer is called the quotient.
💡 Tip: Division and multiplication are opposites. If 4 × 3 = 12, then 12 ÷ 3 = 4 and 12 ÷ 4 = 3. Use your times tables to check division!
Worked Examples
Example 1 — Equal Sharing
Share 10 strawberries 🍓 equally among 2 children. How many does each child get?
👧
🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓
5 each
👦
🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓
5 each
10 ÷ 2 = 5
Example 2 — Grouping
How many groups of 3 can you make from 15 objects?
15 ÷ 3 = 5 groups
Example 3 — Real World Scenario
A teacher has 20 pencils ✏️ to give to 4 tables equally. How many pencils does each table get?
20 ÷ 4 = 5 pencils per table
Check: 5 × 4 = 20 ✅
Practice Questions
1. Work out 8 ÷ 2.
✅ 8 ÷ 2 = 4
2. Share 18 oranges equally among 3 friends. How many does each friend get?
✅ 18 ÷ 3 = 6 oranges each
3. How many groups of 5 are in 20?
✅ 20 ÷ 5 = 4 groups
4. 16 ÷ 4 = ?
✅ 16 ÷ 4 = 4
5. Use multiplication to check: Is 14 ÷ 2 = 7?
✅ Yes! Because 7 × 2 = 14 ✔
Key Points to Remember
- Division means sharing equally or splitting into equal groups.
- We use the ÷ symbol. The answer is the quotient.
- Division is the opposite of multiplication.
- Always check your division using multiplication.
- Any number divided by 1 stays the same. Zero divided by any number is 0.