Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Original poster

Can you do long division?

165 replies

Noperope · 02/02/2025 19:35

Attempting to help dd with her 11plus homework and feeling more and more stupid by the minute. Could you work out 324 divided by 4 with only pen and paper? No cheating and you must show your work, not just write the answer!

OP posts:

Thread gallery

CurlyhairedAssassin · 02/02/2025 19:45

As it isn't long division then yes, I can, bus stop method is easy.

A large sum divided by a 2 digit number - no. Never understood it at the time and I still don't even though I did A-level maths. Thank god for calculators. If ever I had to work it out I'd just guess, then work out the multiplication for the guess, then adjust it accordingly i.e. trial and error.

bouncingbackhome · 02/02/2025 19:46

324 / 7

3 / 7 Can’t do so put a 0 in the hundred column

32 / 7 = 4 remainder 4

carry the 4 across and put it next to the 4 in the ones column

44 / 7 = 6 remainder 2

answer 46 remainder 2 or 46 2/7

Hope that makes sense

Pebbles16 · 02/02/2025 19:46

Yes, but I'm glad I don't have to think of such stuff anymore!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education

mynameiscalypso · 02/02/2025 19:46

Caffeineneedednow · 02/02/2025 19:41

Yes but can't quite remember the correct format meaning they way I was thought but you generally go from the large end down.
7 x 40 = 280
7 x 6 = 42
280 + 42 = 324
Answer is 46

46 x 7 is 322, so there's 2 left over.

Ponderingwindow · 02/02/2025 19:47

Just finished helping dd with her homework simplifying radical
expressions. Long division is a breeze.

Soontobe60 · 02/02/2025 19:47

Yes although I would do this in my head

Allmarbleslost · 02/02/2025 19:48

Nope not a clue. I got a B in GCSE maths though so I guess I must have been able to do it at some point.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 02/02/2025 19:49

I teach y6.
We cover
Short bus stop method
Full bus stop method (with the arrows)
Expanded bus stop method (waste of time) and mental methods.

ThatDreamSheep · 02/02/2025 19:50

324 divided by 7.
How many 7s in 3? None so carry the 3.
How many 7s in 32? 4, remainder 4. So carry the 4.
How many 7s in 44? 6, remainder 2.
So 46 remainder 2?

CatsLikeBoxes · 02/02/2025 19:50

Do you mean like this?

SnapdragonToadflax · 02/02/2025 19:51

No. I was rubbish at maths and could never remember how to do long division - I remember what the bus stop method looks like but not how to actually do it.

Thankfully I carry a calculator in my pocket every day nowadays...

Original poster

Noperope · 02/02/2025 19:52

Soontobe60 · 02/02/2025 19:47

Yes although I would do this in my head

Yes that's the method we were trying to do. I think I was taught a different way, or I've just completely blocked it out so it's forgotten.

Glad I'm not the only one that struggles with it. I can do algebra and trigonometry no problem but long division baffles me.

OP posts:

Original poster

Noperope · 02/02/2025 19:54

CatsLikeBoxes · 02/02/2025 19:50

Do you mean like this?

😮😮😮 That's impressive! We gave up halfway down.

OP posts:

Original poster

Noperope · 02/02/2025 19:56

@CatsLikeBoxes Is that 2 different methods? The bottom one looks familiar, did they used to teach it like that?

OP posts:

FrustratedandBemused · 02/02/2025 19:56

Yes, mainly because I just refreshed my memory in order to teach my 9 year old.

spanieleyes · 02/02/2025 19:57

You wouldn't use long division for dividing by 7, you would use short division. Indeed , you should ( in primary school ) use short division for anything dividing by 12 or under- the theory being that they should know table up to 12x 12 by heart and so don't need to use long division. And short division is much less prone to errors!

Needmorelego · 02/02/2025 19:57

When did / become the symbol for division?
I use ÷ and always have.
Division on paper (bus stop style) I can do. Long division I can't as I didn't get that far in the maths Peak Books (remember them?) at primary school. I only made it to book 5 and I believe long division was in book 6 or 7

Huckyfell · 02/02/2025 19:58

No. I always struggled with long division. Thankfully I've never needed it in the past 35 years since I left.

HellofromJohnCraven · 02/02/2025 19:58

Yes.
I had a lovely primary school teacher called Mr Rosser who had the patience of a saint and patiently sat with me for ever til I understood it!

OchonAgusOchonOh · 02/02/2025 19:59

That's short division, not long division. And yes, I can although I have no idea what the bus stop method is that people are talking about.

StMarie4me · 02/02/2025 19:59

Needmorelego · 02/02/2025 19:57

Because you can't always do the traditional one on a pc

AgnesX · 02/02/2025 19:59

Underneath the 324
32÷divided by 4 = 8
Then 4÷4 = 1 ..... 81

Took me longer to type it ... That was quite an easy one, usually I need paper and pen.

menopausalmare · 02/02/2025 20:02

Yes.

AlteredStater · 02/02/2025 20:03

CatsLikeBoxes · 02/02/2025 19:50

Do you mean like this?

Yep that's how I do it. Learned that way about 60 years ago now!

TappyGilmore · 02/02/2025 20:04

I don’t think I can do long division, but surely you don’t need long division to work out anything divided by 7? That’s short division. Yes, I can work out 324 divided by 7 with pen and paper/without a calculator.

I look at my daughter’s year 10 maths and think “hell no” and also think when kids say that they won’t need this in real life, they are absolutely correct!

I could do long division at school, I was always very good at maths, but haven’t had to do it for the last 30 years so have totally forgotten!

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Swipe left for the next trending thread