Page 333 - Basic College Mathematics with Early Integers

Objectives 4.4 DIVIDING DECIMALS

Divide Decimals.

Estimate when Dividing Decimals. Objective Dividing Decimals
Divide Decimals by Powers of 10. Dividing decimal numbers is similar to dividing whole numbers.The only difference
is that we place a decimal point in the quotient. If the divisor is a whole number, we
Evaluate Expressions with place the decimal point in the quotient directly above the decimal point in the divi-
Decimal Replacement Values. dend, and then divide as with whole numbers. Recall that division can be checked
by multiplication.
Solve Problems by Dividing
Decimals.

PRACTICE 1 Example 1 Divide: 270.2 , 7. Check your answer.
Divide: 517.2 , 6. Check
your answer. Solution: We divide as usual.The decimal point in the quotient is directly above
the decimal point in the dividend.

Write the decimal point.
64
38.6 quotient Check: 38.6
divisor 7270.2 dividend μ 7
– 21 270.2
60
– 56
42
– 42
0
The quotient is 38.6.

Work Practice 1

PRACTICE 2 Example 2 Divide: 328.32 Check your answer.

Divide: 4834.08. Check your
answer. Solution: We divide as usual.The decimal point in the quotient is directly above
the decimal point in the dividend.
0.26 ; quotient Check: 0.26 quotient
q
divisor : 328.32 ; dividend * 32 divisor
-64 52
192 7 80
-192 8.32 dividend
0

Work Practice 2
Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

Sometimes to continue dividing we need to insert zeros after the last digit in the
dividend.

Answers
1. 86.2 2. 0.71
310