Breaking Down Division when divisor is <1

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In summary, division can be thought of as repeated subtraction and this works for numbers less than 1 as well. In the example of 5/0.5, you can multiply both the numerator and denominator by 10 to get 50/5, making it easier to handle.
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ISX
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I haven't been able to figure this out but I am sure it's very simple but I can't understand how to do it.

If you take 5 x 0.5, that is the same as 0.5 + 0.5 +...

Alright so how do you break a division problem down? I realize how dividing by a number greater than 1 works, but under 1 I don't get it and if there was a way it broke down I think I would understand it. If you have 5/0.5 you get 10 obviously but how would that break down into simple terms?
 
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It works exactly the same way: It returns q such that 5 = 0.5q.
 
  • #3
This works as you already learned combined maybe with a fancy way of multiplying by or dividing by 1. So, in your concept, you want to know how to handle divisor less than 1. You want to adjust the dividend AND the divisor so that the divisor is a whole number.

In your example, [itex]\frac{5}{0.5}[/itex], try multiplying both numerator and denominator by 10.

[itex]\frac{5}{0.5} \frac{10}{10}=\frac{50}{5}[/itex].

Now, you can handle the process more easily.
 
  • #4
ISX said:
I haven't been able to figure this out but I am sure it's very simple but I can't understand how to do it.

If you take 5 x 0.5, that is the same as 0.5 + 0.5 +...

Alright so how do you break a division problem down? I realize how dividing by a number greater than 1 works, but under 1 I don't get it and if there was a way it broke down I think I would understand it. If you have 5/0.5 you get 10 obviously but how would that break down into simple terms?
For simple arithmetic problems such as this, you can think of division as repeated subtraction. In other wods, how many times can you subtract 0.5 from 5? Pretty obviously, the answer is 10.
 
  • #5
Mark44 said:
For simple arithmetic problems such as this, you can think of division as repeated subtraction. In other wods, how many times can you subtract 0.5 from 5? Pretty obviously, the answer is 10.

That's exactly what I was looking for! Thanks for the help. Thanks to the others who expanded on this as well.
 

1. What is division when the divisor is less than 1?

Division is a mathematical operation where a number is divided into equal parts. When the divisor is less than 1, it means the number being divided is larger than the number it is being divided by.

2. Why is it important to understand division when the divisor is less than 1?

Understanding division when the divisor is less than 1 is important because it allows us to accurately divide numbers and solve mathematical problems. It also helps us understand the concept of fractions and decimals.

3. How do you solve division problems when the divisor is less than 1?

To solve division problems when the divisor is less than 1, we can use the concept of reciprocals. This means we flip the divisor and multiply it by the dividend. For example, if we have 3 divided by 0.5, we can flip 0.5 to get 2 and then multiply 3 by 2 to get the answer of 6.

4. Can you divide by a number less than 1?

Yes, you can divide by a number less than 1. However, the result will always be a larger number than the dividend. For example, dividing 10 by 0.2 will give you a result of 50.

5. What are some real-life applications of understanding division when the divisor is less than 1?

Understanding division when the divisor is less than 1 can be applied in various real-life situations, such as calculating time and distance, converting units of measurement, and determining the cost per unit of an item. It is also used in fields such as engineering, science, and finance.

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