Long Division Problem: Divide 208 by 4

Q: What do I do when the divisor is bigger than the first digit?

When 4 is bigger than 2, you need to look at the first two digits together. So instead of dividing 4 into 2, you divide 4 into 20, which gives you 5!

Q: How do I know where to write each digit in my answer?

Write each digit of your quotient directly above the corresponding digit in the dividend. The 5 goes above the 0 in 20, and the 2 goes above the 8.

Q: What if I have a remainder at the end?

If there's a remainder, you can either write it as a fraction (like 52 R 0) or continue dividing by adding decimal places. In this problem, we get exactly 0 remainder!

Q: How can I check if my long division is correct?

The best way is to multiply your answer by the divisor. If you get back to your original number (52 × 4 = 208), then your division is correct!

Q: Why do we 'bring down' digits in long division?

'Bringing down' lets you work with manageable chunks of the dividend. After dividing 20 by 4, you bring down the 8 to continue the division process step by step.

Long Division with Multi-digit Dividends

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations

00:00 Solve

00:03 Let's start by dividing the leftmost digit by the divisor

00:06 4 is greater than 2, so we'll include the next digit and then divide

00:12 Write the result above, paying attention to the position

00:17 Now multiply the result by the divisor

00:20 Subtract the product from the number

00:24 Now bring down the next digit and repeat the same steps

00:27 Divide

00:30 Write the result above

00:33 Multiply the result and subtract

00:39 We got a remainder of 0

00:44 And this is the solution to the problem

Step-by-step written solution

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Understand the problem

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll perform long division of 208 by 4:

Step 1: Begin by setting up the division. Write 208 (dividend) under the division bar and 4 (divisor) on the outside.
Step 2: Determine how many times 4 can fit into the first digit of 208, which is 2. Since 4 does not go into 2, we consider the first two digits, 20.
Step 3: 4 fits into 20 exactly 5 times (since 4 × 5 = 20). Write 5 above the division bar above the zero in 20.
Step 4: Multiply 5 by 4 to get 20, and subtract 20 from 20, leaving a remainder of 0. Bring down the next digit, which is 8.
Step 5: Now, determine how many times 4 goes into 8. It goes exactly 2 times (since 4 × 2 = 8). Write 2 above the division bar, next to 5.
Step 6: Multiply 2 by 4 to get 8, subtract from 8 to leave a remainder of 0.

The division is complete, and we find that 208 divided by 4 equals $52$ .

Therefore, the correct answer is $52$ .

Final Answer

$52$

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Setup: Write divisor outside, dividend inside the division bracket
Technique: Work left to right: 4 goes into 20 five times (5×4=20)
Check: Multiply quotient by divisor: 52×4=208 to verify answer ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Trying to divide single digits when they're too small
Don't try to divide 4 into 2 and get stuck = confusion and wrong steps! The digit 2 is smaller than 4, so you can't divide evenly. Always look at the first two digits (20) when the first digit is smaller than the divisor.

Practice Quiz

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FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

What do I do when the divisor is bigger than the first digit?

When 4 is bigger than 2, you need to look at the first two digits together. So instead of dividing 4 into 2, you divide 4 into 20, which gives you 5!

How do I know where to write each digit in my answer?

Write each digit of your quotient directly above the corresponding digit in the dividend. The 5 goes above the 0 in 20, and the 2 goes above the 8.

What if I have a remainder at the end?

If there's a remainder, you can either write it as a fraction (like 52 R 0) or continue dividing by adding decimal places. In this problem, we get exactly 0 remainder!

How can I check if my long division is correct?

The best way is to multiply your answer by the divisor. If you get back to your original number (52 × 4 = 208), then your division is correct!

Why do we 'bring down' digits in long division?

'Bringing down' lets you work with manageable chunks of the dividend. After dividing 20 by 4, you bring down the 8 to continue the division process step by step.

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