What is Division?
Division means sharing or grouping equally. When you divide, you split a number into equal parts. Division is the opposite (inverse) of multiplication.
In Class 3, you learn to divide using objects, pictures, repeated subtraction, and multiplication tables. The division symbol is ÷.
What is What is Division? - Class 3 Maths (Division)?
Division is the process of splitting a number into equal groups. The number being divided is the dividend. The number you divide by is the divisor. The answer is the quotient.
Dividend ÷ Divisor = Quotient
Example: 12 ÷ 3 = 4. Here, 12 is the dividend, 3 is the divisor, and 4 is the quotient.
Types and Properties
Division can be understood in two ways:
- Sharing equally: Ria has 15 toffees and shares them equally among 3 friends. Each friend gets 15 ÷ 3 = 5 toffees.
- Making equal groups: Aman has 20 pencils and puts 4 in each box. Number of boxes = 20 ÷ 4 = 5 boxes.
Both methods give the same division fact, but the question is asked differently.
| Term | Meaning | In 18 ÷ 6 = 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend | Total to be divided | 18 |
| Divisor | Number of groups or size of each group | 6 |
| Quotient | Answer | 3 |
Solved Examples
Example 1: Equal Sharing
Question: Meera has 12 bangles. She shares them equally among 4 friends. How many does each friend get?
Think:
- Total bangles = 12
- Friends = 4
- 12 ÷ 4 = 3
Answer: Each friend gets 3 bangles.
Example 2: Making Equal Groups
Question: Rahul has 24 stickers. He puts 6 stickers on each page. How many pages does he use?
Think:
- Total stickers = 24
- Stickers per page = 6
- 24 ÷ 6 = 4
Answer: Rahul uses 4 pages.
Example 3: Using Multiplication Table
Question: Find 35 ÷ 7.
Think:
- Ask: 7 × ? = 35
- 7 × 5 = 35
- So 35 ÷ 7 = 5
Answer: 35 ÷ 7 = 5.
Example 4: Division with Pictures
Question: There are 18 apples. Circle groups of 3. How many groups?
Think:
- 🍎🍎🍎 | 🍎🍎🍎 | 🍎🍎🍎 | 🍎🍎🍎 | 🍎🍎🍎 | 🍎🍎🍎
- Count the groups → 6 groups
- 18 ÷ 3 = 6
Answer: There are 6 groups.
Example 5: Division by 1
Question: Find 9 ÷ 1.
Think:
- Any number divided by 1 gives the number itself.
- 9 ÷ 1 = 9
Answer: 9 ÷ 1 = 9.
Example 6: Division — Number Equals Itself
Question: Find 8 ÷ 8.
Think:
- Any number divided by itself gives 1.
- 8 ÷ 8 = 1
Answer: 8 ÷ 8 = 1.
Example 7: 0 Divided by a Number
Question: Find 0 ÷ 5.
Think:
- If you have 0 items and share among 5 friends, each gets 0.
- 0 ÷ 5 = 0
Answer: 0 ÷ 5 = 0.
Example 8: Word Problem — Sharing Food
Question: Aditi makes 20 chapatis for 5 family members. If shared equally, how many does each person get?
Think:
- Total chapatis = 20
- Family members = 5
- 20 ÷ 5 = 4
Answer: Each person gets 4 chapatis.
Example 9: Division in a Table
Question: Complete: 42 ÷ 7 = ?
Think:
- From the 7-times table: 7 × 6 = 42
- So 42 ÷ 7 = 6
Answer: 42 ÷ 7 = 6.
Real-World Applications
Where do we use division?
- Sharing food equally among friends or family members.
- Distributing items into equal groups — books in shelves, students in teams.
- Finding how many groups — packing items into bags or boxes.
- Splitting money — dividing ₹100 equally among 4 children.
Key Points to Remember
- Division means sharing equally or making equal groups.
- The three parts of division: dividend ÷ divisor = quotient.
- Division is the inverse (opposite) of multiplication.
- Any number ÷ 1 = the number itself.
- Any number ÷ itself = 1.
- 0 ÷ any number = 0.
- You cannot divide by 0 — it is not defined.
- Use multiplication tables backwards to divide quickly.
Practice Problems
- Dev has 30 marbles. He shares them equally among 5 friends. How many does each friend get?
- Find 28 ÷ 4.
- There are 45 students. The teacher makes groups of 9. How many groups are formed?
- Find 0 ÷ 8.
- Find 7 ÷ 1.
- Neha has 36 flowers. She puts 6 flowers in each vase. How many vases does she need?
- What is 54 ÷ 9?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is division?
Division is splitting a number into equal parts. If you have 12 items and make 3 equal groups, each group has 4 items. So 12 ÷ 3 = 4.
Q2. What are dividend, divisor, and quotient?
The dividend is the total you are dividing. The divisor is the number you divide by. The quotient is the answer. In 20 ÷ 4 = 5, 20 is the dividend, 4 is the divisor, and 5 is the quotient.
Q3. Can you divide by 0?
No. Division by 0 is not defined. You cannot share items into 0 groups — it has no meaning.
Q4. What is 0 divided by a number?
0 divided by any number (except 0) is 0. If you have nothing to share, everyone gets nothing.
Q5. How is division related to multiplication?
They are inverse operations. If 4 × 5 = 20, then 20 ÷ 5 = 4 and 20 ÷ 4 = 5.
Q6. How can I use tables to divide?
Think of the multiplication table in reverse. For 56 ÷ 8, ask yourself: 8 times what equals 56? Since 8 × 7 = 56, the answer is 7.
Q7. What is the difference between sharing and grouping?
Sharing means distributing items one by one into a given number of groups. Grouping means putting a fixed number of items together to see how many groups you get. Both use division.
Q8. Is division covered in NCERT Class 3?
Yes. NCERT Class 3 Maths introduces division through equal sharing, grouping, and using multiplication facts to divide.
