The idea in brief. The decimal point in the quotient goes straight up above the point in the dividend, and then the division simply carries on: when the dividend runs out of digits, append a nought and keep going. If the answer is wanted to two decimal places, work to three, because the third digit is the one that decides.
Lesson video, with the working
Dividing a decimal by a one-digit number
4 min 59 s
The film teaches 2 questions in turn. Each question shows first; its working is written as the film explains it.
How can my child keep track of place value when dividing decimals?
Your child divides an amount into equal groups and writes the quotient with the correct decimal places.
What your child learns here
Your child divides an amount into equal groups and writes the quotient with the correct decimal places. The MOE P4 syllabus includes dividing decimals up to two places by a one-digit whole number, dividing whole numbers to obtain decimal quotients, and rounding answers to a specified accuracy. These outcomes connect division, place value and rounding.
Divide ones, tenths and hundredths in order, renaming any remaining larger parts into the next smaller place when continuing the calculation.
Keep a zero in the quotient when a place receives no whole share, rather than moving later digits into the empty place.
Write equivalent forms with extra decimal zeros when needed to continue whole-number division beyond the ones place or complete an exact quotient.
Distinguish an exact decimal answer from a rounded answer, following the question's requested number of decimal places.
Calculate one extra decimal digit to decide a final rounding step, and use multiplication to check a quotient that is exact.
Does the answer make sense?
If 6.84 ÷ 3 gives 2.28, multiplying 2.28 by 3 returns exactly 6.84, confirming the quotient. When the question requests a rounded quotient instead, multiplying back may give a nearby amount, so your child should check the rounding decision against the unrounded working.
How to practise these questions
The Basic question divides whole numbers to obtain an exact decimal quotient. Intermediate practice includes finding one item's price before pricing several, removing a different item's cost before sharing the rest, combining liquids before division, and rounding a distance to one decimal place. Challenge questions investigate how rounding a unit price changes the total paid, or find a missing number in pairs that share the same decimal quotient. Ask your child to identify the amount being shared and the number of equal shares. Check whether the quotient must remain exact or be rounded, then inspect one further digit when rounding is required. In the price comparison, keep the original total separate from the total calculated using the rounded price.
Questions parents ask
Why can my child continue dividing after reaching the decimal point? A remaining whole can be renamed as ten tenths, and a remaining tenth as ten hundredths. Writing a decimal zero does not add more to the starting amount; it makes the next place available. Your child continues sharing the same total using smaller parts.
When should my child stop and round a quotient? Read the requested accuracy first. For an answer to two decimal places, work out the thousandths digit before deciding the final hundredths digit. Keep that decision until the end so that rounding an earlier part of the calculation does not alter the final result.
Does dividing a decimal always produce a smaller number? A positive amount divided by a whole number greater than one gives a smaller quotient. Dividing by one keeps the amount unchanged. This page uses whole-number divisors within the P4 outcome, so your child can use those conditions to make a sensible size prediction before calculating.
