Divide a Four-digit Number by a Two-digit Number Using Long Division

In this activity, we will practise dividing 4-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers using a written method for long division.

 

 

We know that this is not everyone's favourite type of maths calculation, so it's time to get it sorted, once and for all!

 

Let's look at the steps needed to work these out.

 

Example

A cough syrup bottle holds 1,860 ml.

Each dose is 15 ml.

How many doses does the bottle contain?

 

 

Step1:

The first step is to work out multiples of 15. 

It can help to write these in a list to keep handy while you are doing the calculation. 

15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 etc.

 

Step 2:

15 does not fit into 1, but it does fit into 18. 

It fits in once, so we write a 1 above the eight.

We then subtract one lot of 15 (15) from the 18 as shown. 

There are 3 left over.

 

Step 3:

Next, we bring down the 6 to sit next to the 3. 

How many times does 15 go into 36?

It goes in twice. 

We write a 2 above the 6 and we subtract two lots of 15 (30) from 36 as shown below.

There are 6 left over.

 

 

Step 4:

Lastly, we bring down the 0 and place it next to the 6, making 60.

How many times does 15 go into 60?

It goes in 4 times exactly. 

We write the 4 above the 0 and subtract 4 lots of 15 (60) from 60, giving us 0 (no remainder).

If there was a remainder, we could write it next to 124 as we would do with short division.

 

So, there are 124 doses of 15 ml in the cough syrup bottle.

 

That wasn't so hard, was it?

 

 

Let's have a go at some questions now.

 

If you want to look back at the example in this introduction, just click on the red help button on the screen at any point while doing the questions.