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Division with remainders

Part of Mathematics and NumeracyMultiplyingYear 4

What is a remainder?

A boy thinking about 15 eggs and 2 egg boxes that can hold 6 eggs each.

Sometimes, it is not possible to divide one number by another exactly.

Anything left over that cannot be divided exactly is called a remainder.

When you are solving problems and there is a remainder, you need to know what to do with it.

A boy thinking about 15 eggs and 2 egg boxes that can hold 6 eggs each.
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Activity: What is division with remainders?

Complete this interactive activity to learn about division with remainders. Then put your knowledge to the test.

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Division with remainders

When you divide, the numbers don't always divide exactly. Anything left over after dividing is called the remainder.

For example, look at this division calculation:

7 ÷ 2

If you divide 7 by 2, you can make 3 groups of 2, which equals 6. However, there is 1 left over.

An array of 7 counters. In the array, boxes surround 3 sets of 2 counters. 1 counter is loose.

You would write it like this:

7 ÷ 2 = 3 r1

The 'r1' shows there is one left over.

When solving problems with division, you have to decide what to do with the remainder.

Sometimes you have to round the answer up to the next number. Sometimes you round down.

Which action you take depends on the problem that you've been given.

Look at this question.

'How many pairs can you make out of seven socks">