Solve the Division Problem: 72 Divided by 6

Q: Why split 72 into 60 and 12 specifically?

Because both 60 and 12 are multiples of 6! This makes the division easy: 60÷6=10 and 12÷6=2. If you split into other numbers, the math gets much harder.

Q: Can I just memorize that 72÷6=12?

Yes, memorizing is great! But understanding the distributive method helps with harder problems like 126÷6 where you might not know the answer by heart.

Q: What if I can't think of good multiples to split with?

Start with multiples of 10 that work! For 72÷6, try 60 (since 6×10=60). Then the remainder is 12, and you can check if 6 goes into 12 evenly.

Q: Is this method faster than regular long division?

For mental math, absolutely! Once you practice, you can solve problems like this in your head without writing anything down. It's especially helpful for larger numbers.

Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations

00:00 Solve

00:03 We'll use the distributive law

00:07 Let's break down 72 into 60 plus 12

00:11 We'll divide each factor separately

00:22 We'll solve each division and then sum

00:31 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution

1

Understand the problem

Solve the following problem:

$72:6=$

2

Step-by-step solution

Apply the distributive property of division and proceed to split the number 72 into a sum of 60 and 12. This ultimately renders the division operation easier and allows us to solve the exercise without a calculator.

Note - it's best to choose to split the number based on knowledge of multiples. In this case of the digit 6 because we need to divide by 6.

Note - splitting according to multiples of the dividing digit (in this case 6) by 10 matches and makes the division operation easier.

Reminder - The distributive property of division actually allows us to split the larger term in the division exercise into a sum or difference of smaller numbers, which makes the division operation easier and gives us the ability to solve the exercise without a calculator

We will use the formula of the distributive property

$(a+b):c=a:c+b:c$

$72:6=(60+12):6$
$(60+12):6=60:6+12:6$

$60:6+12:6=10+2$

$10+2=12$

Therefore the answer is option C - 12.

3

Final Answer

12

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Rule: Use distributive property to break large numbers into easier parts
Technique: Split 72 into 60+12 since both divide evenly by 6
Check: Verify 12×6 = 72 or count by 6s twelve times ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Forgetting to split numbers into multiples of the divisor
Don't randomly split 72 into any numbers like 70+2 = wrong answer! These don't divide evenly by 6, making calculations harder. Always split into multiples of your divisor (6), like 60+12.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

$$ 140-70= $$

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why split 72 into 60 and 12 specifically?

+

Because both 60 and 12 are multiples of 6! This makes the division easy: 60÷6=10 and 12÷6=2. If you split into other numbers, the math gets much harder.

Can I just memorize that 72÷6=12?

+

Yes, memorizing is great! But understanding the distributive method helps with harder problems like 126÷6 where you might not know the answer by heart.

What if I can't think of good multiples to split with?

+

Start with multiples of 10 that work! For 72÷6, try 60 (since 6×10=60). Then the remainder is 12, and you can check if 6 goes into 12 evenly.

Is this method faster than regular long division?

+

For mental math, absolutely! Once you practice, you can solve problems like this in your head without writing anything down. It's especially helpful for larger numbers.

Do I always have to use the distributive property?

+

No! Use whatever method feels most comfortable. Some students prefer skip counting (6, 12, 18...) or long division. The distributive property is just another helpful tool.

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Solve the Division Problem: 72 Divided by 6

Division Using Distributive Property

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