Lesson 5: Dividing Integers

Property

Division is the inverse operation of multiplication. We check our answer to division by multiplying the quotient by the divisor to determine if it equals the dividend.

Examples

• To solve $56 \div 7$, we can think 'what number times 7 equals 56?'. The answer is 8. Check: $8 \cdot 7 = 56$.
• To solve $\frac{48}{8}$, we can think 'what number times 8 equals 48?'. The answer is 6. Check: $6 \cdot 8 = 48$.
• To solve $54 \div 9$, we can think 'what number times 9 equals 54?'. The answer is 6. Check: $6 \cdot 9 = 54$.

Explanation

Division and multiplication are opposites that undo each other. You can use your multiplication facts to solve division problems and to check if your answer is correct. It's a great way to be sure you have the right quotient!

Property

The quotient of two numbers with opposite signs is a negative number.
The quotient of two numbers with the same sign is a positive number.
If $a$ is any nonzero number, then

Examples

• The quotient of two numbers with the same sign is positive: $\frac{-45}{-9} = 5$.

• The quotient of two numbers with opposite signs is negative: $32 \div (-4) = -8$.