Class 3 Division: Concepts, Examples and Practice Questions

Division is one of those maths topics that sounds complicated at first, but once a child understands that it simply means sharing things equally, it suddenly starts making perfect sense. For Class 3 students, division is a major milestone. It is the first time children move from just knowing their multiplication tables to actually using them in reverse.

In this guide, we are going to walk through every concept of division for Class 3 in a way that is clear, friendly, and easy to follow. From understanding what division means to solving 3-digit problems, we have got it all covered with the kind of examples that children actually relate to.

Table of Contents

• What is Division?
• Division by Equal Sharing and Equal Grouping
• Division of a 2-Digit Number by a 1-Digit Number
• Division of a 2-Digit Number by a 2-Digit Number
• Division of a 3-Digit Number by a 1-Digit Number
• Division by 10
• Properties of Division
• Division Word Problems for Class 3

What is Division?

Division is a method of distributing things equally.

Think of it this way: if you have 12 crayons and want to put them equally into 3 pencil boxes, how many crayons go into each box? 

We write it as: 12 ÷ 3 = 4

Which means 12 divided by 3 equals 4, so 4 crayons go into each box.

Before we dive into the methods, let us learn the division vocabulary first.

Division by Equal Sharing and Equal Grouping

What is Equal Sharing?

Equal sharing means distributing a total number of objects into a fixed number of groups so that each group gets the same amount.

For example, 

A boy had 6 toy cars. He divided them equally between 2 friends. How many cars did each friend get?

6 ÷ 2 = 3

Each friend gets 3 toy cars.

What is Equal Grouping?

Equal grouping means arranging a total number of objects into groups of a fixed size and counting how many such groups can be formed.

For example: 8 apples are to be placed in boxes, with 2 apples in each box. How many boxes are needed?

Groups of 2 from 8: {2}, {2}, {2}, {2} → 4 groups

So, 8 ÷ 2 = 4 boxes are needed.

Division of a 2-Digit Number by a 1-Digit Number

When dividing a 2-digit number by a 1-digit number, the long division method helps break the problem into smaller, easy-to-manage steps. Follow these steps to find the quotient and remainder accurately.

Steps to Follow: 

• Start with the tens digit of the dividend.

• Divide it by the divisor. Write the quotient on top.

• Multiply and subtract.

• Bring down the units digit.

• Divide again. Write the new quotient.

• Subtract to find the remainder.
  
  

Example 1: Divide 48 by 4

   4)124)48―4)−44)4)084)−84)4)0

Quotient = 12, Remainder = 0 

Example 2: Divide 57 by 5 

5)115)57―5)−55)5)075)−55)5)2

So the quotient is 11 and the remainder is 2. 

Division of a 2-Digit Number by a 2-Digit Number

Now the divisor itself is a 2-digit number. But the logic remains the same.

Example 1: Divide 85 by 13

13)613)85―13)−7813)13)7

Since 13×6=78, subtracting gives a remainder of 85−78=7.

85 ÷ 13, Quotient = 6, Remainder = 7.

Example 2: Divide 96 by 12

 12)812)96―12)−9612)12)0

12 × 8 = 96

So, 96 ÷ 12 = 8

Quotient = 8, Remainder = 0

Division of a 3-Digit Number by a 1-Digit Number

We just repeat them one more time since there are three digits in the dividend.

Example 1: Divide 416 by 4 

 4)1044)416―4)−44)4)014)−0← 4 does not go into 1, so write 0 in the quotient and bring down 6.4)4)164)−164)4)0

Quotient = 104, Remainder = 0 

Example 2: Divide 762 by 8 

 8)958)762―8)−72← 8 × 9 = 728)8)428)−40← 8 × 5 = 408)8)2

Quotient = 95, Remainder = 2 

Division by 10

When a number is divided by 10:

• The remainder is always the digit in the ones place of the dividend.

• The quotient is the number formed by the remaining digits (i.e., the number without its ones digit).

Examples:

Properties of Division 

These are the important rules about division that Class 3 students need to remember:

Property 1: Division of 0 by Any Number

0 ÷ (any non-zero number) = 0

If you have 0 chocolates to share among any number of friends, everyone gets 0.

Example: 0 ÷ 18 = 0

Property 2: Division of Any Number by 1

Any number ÷ 1 = that number itself (remainder = 0)

If there is only 1 group, everything stays together.

Example: 265 ÷ 1 = 265

Property 3: Division of Any Number by Itself

Any non-zero number ÷ itself = 1 (remainder = 0)

If 19 children share 19 chocolates equally, each gets exactly 1.

Example: 19 ÷ 19 = 1

Property 4: Division by 0 is Not Possible

We cannot divide any number by 0. It is undefined. You can never split something into 0 groups.

Division Word Problems for Class 3

Problem 1: Emma has 24 chocolates. She wants to share them equally among 6 friends. How many chocolates will each friend get?

Solution: Number of chocolates with Emma = 24

Number of friends = 6

Number of chocolates each friend will get = 24 ÷ 6 = 4

So, each friend gets 4 chocolates. 

Problem 2: A farmer harvested 56 apples and packed them equally into 7 boxes. How many apples are in each box? 

Solution: Total number of apples = 56

Number of boxes = 7

Number of apples in each box = 56 ÷ 7 = 8

So, each box contains 8 apples.

Problem 3: A school is taking 96 students on a trip. Each bus can carry 24 students. How many buses are needed?

Solution: Total number of students = 96

Number of students one bus can carry = 24

Number of buses needed = 96 ÷ 24 = 4

So, 4 buses are needed for the trip. 

Here's a set of questions for practice. Solve them in a notebook with a proper layout.

Worksheet on Chapter 7: Division for Class 3