Primary 4 Decimals Guide and Worksheet

In this free P4 Decimals worksheet, you will learn all the Decimals concepts for Primary 4
Math.
After the explanation of each concept, there are practice questions for your child to try.
Answers are provided at the end to allow you to check your child’s answers.

What are decimals?

We have learnt in Primary 2 that numbers less than 1 can be expressed as fractions. An
3
example of a fraction is 4 .

Another way to represent parts of a whole is by using decimals. Did you know, we have
started using decimals when we learnt to write money in dollars and cents in Primary 2?
Let’s recall.

See that the above represents a one−dollar coin, a twenty−cent coin and a five−cent coin. We
write the total amount as $1.25 .
The number ‘1.25’ is a form of decimal, in which the dot (.) separates the whole from the
parts. The number ‘1’ represents 1 whole (because we have one complete dollar) and the
number ‘25’ represents 25 parts (because 100 cents make up one complete dollar and there
are only 25 cents).

Money is one measurement that is often represented by decimals. Other measurements

such as lengths, mass and volume can also be represented using decimals. See examples
in the table below.

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 Measurements Example
Money $1.25
Length 0.5 m
Mass 1.2 kg
Volume 3.05 ℓ

Use this set of notes and worksheet to review the concepts of decimals.
You will learn the following Decimals Concepts:
- Place and Value
- Comparing and Ordering Decimals
- Expressing Decimals as Fractions
- Rounding off Decimals
- Addition and Subtraction
- Multiplication and Division

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1 Decimals Up to 3 Decimal Places
(a) Various representations of decimals and place values (tenths, hundredths
and thousandths)
Tenths
1
When 1 whole is divided into 10 equal parts, each part represents or 0.1.
10

1
one tenth = = 0.1
10

On a number line, tenths can be represented as follows:

0.1

0.1 0.1

0.1 0.1 0.1

0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

𝟎 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
𝟎 𝟏
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
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Important : 10 tenths make a whole.

Study the number below from 0 to 2. There are 10 equal intervals between each whole
number. Therefore each interval must represent an increment of 0.1 or one tenth.

0 1 2

(a) (b)

So (a) represents 0.3 and (b) represents 1.5.

In a place value table, tenths appear on the right side of ones as follows:

Tens Ones . Tenths

1 2 4
10 1 1 0.1 0.1

0.1 0.1

From the table,

10 + 2 + 0.4 = 12.4
The digit ‘1’ is in the tens place. It stands for 1 ten. Its value is 10.
The digit ‘2’ is in the ones place. It stands for 2 ones. Its value is 2.
The digit ‘4’ is in the tenths place. It stands for 4 tenths. Its value is 0.4.

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Some examples of measurements involving the use of tenths.

1.2 cm

The length of the ant is 1.2 cm long.

*Use your ruler as a number line for counting in tenths!*

The total mass of the coffee powder and container is 10.3 g.

1.5 ℓ

The bottle has a capacity of 1.5 ℓ.

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Hundredths
1
When 1 whole is divided into 100 equal parts, each part represents or 0.01.
100

1
one hundredth = = 0.01
100

On a number line, tenths can be represented as follows:

0.01

0.01 0.01

0.01 0.01 0.01

0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01

0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01

0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01

0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01

0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01

0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01

0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01

𝟎 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 𝟏
𝟎
100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 𝟏𝟎

Important : Ten hundredths make a tenth.

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Study the number below from 0 to 0.2. There are 10 equal intervals between each tenth.
Therefore each interval must represent an increment of 0.01 or one hundredth.

0 0.1 0.2

(a) (b)

So (a) represents 0.02 and (b) represents 0.16.

In a place value table, hundredths appear on the right side of tenths as follows:

4 1 2 3

10 1 0.1 0.1 0.01 0.01

10

0.01
10 10

4 tens 1 one 2 tenths 3 hundredths

From the table,

40 + 1 + 0.2 + 0.03 = 41.23
The digit ‘4’ is in the tens place. It stands for 4 tens. Its value is 40.
The digit ‘1’ is in the ones place. It stands for 1 one. Its value is 1.
The digit ‘2’ is in the tenths place. It stands for 2 tenths. Its value is 0.2.
The digit ‘3’ is in the hundredths place. It stands for 3 hundredths. Its value is 0.03.

7|P age
Some examples of measurements involving the use of hundredths.

The selling price of the item is $5.75.

The bathroom scale reads 46.66 kg.

The height of Bukit Timah Hill in Singapore is about 163.63m above sea level.

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Thousandths
1
When 1 whole is divided into 1000 equal parts, each part represents or 0.001.
1000

1
one thousandth = = 0.001
1000

On a number line, thousandths can be represented as follows:

0.001

0.001 0.001

0.001 0.001 0.001

0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001

0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001

0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001

0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001

0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001

0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001

0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001

𝟎 0.001 0.002 0.003 0.004 0.005 0.006 0.007 0.008 0.009 0.01

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 𝟏
𝟎
1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 𝟏𝟎𝟎

9|P age
Important : Ten thousandths make a hundredth

Study the number below from 0 to 0.02. There are 10 equal intervals between each
hundredth. Therefore each interval must represent an increment of 0.001 or one
thousandth.

0 0.01 0.02

(a) (b)

So (a) represents 0.005 and (b) represents 0.019.

In a place value table, thousandths appear on the right side of hundredths as follows:

Tens Ones . Tenths Hundredths Thousandths

5 1 0 2
0.001 0.001
10 10 10 1 0.01 0.01

0.001
10 10

5 tens 1 one 0 2 hundredths 3 thousandths

From the table,

50 + 1 + 0.0 + 0.02 + 0.003 = 51.023
The digit ‘5’ is in the tens place. It stands for 5 tens. Its value is 50.
The digit ‘1’ is in the ones place. It stands for 1 one. Its value is 1.
The digit ‘0’ is in the tenths place. It stands for 0 tenths. Its value is 0.
The digit ‘2’ is in the hundredths place. It stands for 2 hundredths. Its value is 0.02.
The digit ‘3’ is in the thousandths place. It stands for 3 thousandths. Its value is 0.003.

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Some examples of measurements involving the use of thousandths.

Mount Everest, the tallest mountain the world stands at about 8.849 km above sea level.

A single raindrop holds about 1 ml of water. This is about 0.001 ℓ of water.

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PRACTICE
Q1. Fill in the blanks.
(a) In 34.709, the value of the digit 7 is _____________.
(b) In 2.671, the digit 1 is in the _____________ place.
(c) 40 + 5 + 0.02 + 0.001 = _____________
(d) 2 + 11 tenths + 6 hundredths + 8 thousandths = _____________

Q2 State the decimal represented by the letter on each number line.

(a)

4 5 6

A = _____________

(b)

2.09 2.10 2.11

B = _____________

(c)

3.5 3.6 3.7

C = _____________

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Answers:
Q1 (a) 0.7 (b) thousandths (c) 45.021 (d) 3.168
Q2 (a) 5.2 (b) 2.105 (c) 3.59

(b) Comparing and ordering decimals

Decimals appear very often in our everyday life, especially in areas where money and
other measurements are involved. It is important we learn how to compare decimals
effectively so that we can make smart and well−informed decisions.

Example
Arrange the following numbers in ascending order (from small to big).

3.65 , 3.6 , 3.605 , 4.0

Step 1: Line up the numbers. Write them one below the other, making sure the
decimal points are lined up as follows. This allows you to compare digits
with the same place values.

3.650

3.600

3.605

4.000

Note: You can add zeros at the end of a decimal to make all numbers
have the same number of decimal places. It does not change the value.

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Step 2: Compare digit by digit, from leftmost column.

3.650

3.600

3.605

4.000
Observe that digit 4 is the largest in the ones place. Hence 4.0 is the
largest among the given decimals. We can continue to compare the
remaining three decimals.

3.650

3.600

3.605
Observe that all the digits in the tenths placed are the same. We then
move on to the hundredths place.

3.650

3.600

3.605
See that 3.650 has the largest digit in the hundredths place. So it is the
second largest decimal. The remaining two decimals have the same digit
in the hundredths place so we move on to compare the digits in the
thousandths place.

3.600

3.605
See that 3.605 has the larger digit in the thousandths place. Hence 3.600 is
the smallest decimal. We can now write the decimals in ascending order
as follows:
Ans: 3.6 , 3.605 , 3.65 , 4.0

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Tips to Remember

Line up decimal points before comparing.

Add extra zeros at the end if needed.

Compare digits within same place, from left to right.

The greater the number in the first different place, the bigger the decimal.

PRACTICE
Q1 Arrange the following numbers in ascending order.
5.79 , 5.907 , 5.097 , 5.9

Q2 Three decimals have been arranged in ascending order. The number that is in
between 20.504 and 20.516 have some missing digits. The digits in the tens and
thousandths places have been written. Identify the decimal in the middle.

20.504 , 2 __ . __ __ 5 , 20.516

Ans: _____________

Answers:
Q1 5.097 , 5.79 , 5.9 , 5.907
Q2 20.515

(c) Expressing decimals as fractions

1 1
Recall: one tenth = 0.1 = and one hundredth = 0.01 =
10 100
Based on the above, we can easily express any decimal as a fraction.

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Example
(a) Express 0.5 as a fraction in its simplest form.

*Recall: 0.5 is the same as 5 tenths.

5 1
0.5 = = (ans)
10 2

(b) Express 3.22 as a mixed number in its simplest form.

*Recall: 3.22 is the same as 3 wholes and 22 hundredths.

22 11
3.22 = 3 =3 (ans)
100 50

PRACTICE
Q1 Express the following decimals as fractions in the simplest form.
(a) 0.8 = __________ (b) 0.45 = __________

Q2 Express the following decimals as mixed numbers in the simplest form.

(a) 5.2 = __________ (b) 10.24 = __________

Answers:
4 9
Q1(a) 5 (b) 20
1 6
Q2(a) 5 5 (b) 10 25

(d) Expressing fractions with denominator 10 or 100 as decimals

1 1
Recall: one tenth = = 0.1 and one hundredth = = 0.01
10 100

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 Based on the above, we can easily express any fraction with denominator 10 or
100 as decimals.

Useful to memorise:

10 = 2 × 5 100 = 2 × 50 1000 = 8 × 125

= 4 × 25

= 5 × 20

Example
1
(a) Express as a decimal
2

* Recall: 2 × 5 = 10
1 5
= = 0.5 (ans)
2 10

3
(b) Express as a decimal
4

* Recall: 4 × 25 = 100
3 75
= = 0.75 (ans)
4 100

PRACTICE
Q1 Express the following fractions as decimals.
3 9
(a) = __________ (b) = __________
5 20

3 1
(c) 1 25 = __________ (b) 2 4 = __________

Answers:
Q1(a) 0.6 (b) 0.45 (c) 1.12 (d) 2.25
(e) Rounding decimals to either the nearest whole number, 1 decimal place or
2 decimal places
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Rounding decimals means adjusting a decimal number to a simpler or more convenient
value while keeping it as close as possible to the original number. This helps in
estimating answers and measurements. It also makes calculations easier as there are
less digits to handle.
Rounding decimals follows the same basic rules as rounding whole numbers, but
instead of focusing on the ones, tens, or hundreds place, we look at tenths,
hundredths, or thousandths place.

Rounding to the nearest whole number

The number line below shows whole numbers from 11 to 13. The decimals 11.4, 11.7
and 12.5 are also shown on the number line.

11 11.4 11.7 12 12.5 13

See that:
− 11.4 is closer to 11 than 12. So 11.4 is 11 when rounded to the nearest whole
number. We write 11.4 ≈ 11.
− 11.7 is closer to 11 than 12. So 11.7 is 12 when rounded to the nearest whole
number. We write 11.7 ≈ 12.
− 12.5 is centre of 12 and 13. So 12.5 is 13 when rounded to the nearest whole
number. We write 12.5 ≈ 13.

Note that if the rounded value is smaller than the original value, then the number has
been rounded down. So 11.4 has been rounded down to 11.
If the rounded value is greater than the original value, then the number has been
rounded up. So 11.7 has been rounded up to 12, and 12.5 has been rounded up to 13.

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Rounding to 1 decimal place
The number line below shows decimals from 4.1 to 4.3. The decimals 4.13, 4.25 and
4.28 are also shown on the number line.

4.1 4.13 4.2 4.25 4.28 4.3

See that:
− 4.13 is closer to 4.1 than 4.2. So 4.13 is 4.1 when rounded to 1 decimal place. We
write 4.13 ≈ 4.1.
− 4.25 is centre of 4.2 and 4.3. So 4.25 is 4.3 when rounded to 1 decimal place. We
write 4.25 ≈ 4.3.
− 4.28 is closer to 4.3 than 4.2. So 4.28 is 4.3 when rounded to 1 decimal place. We
write 4.28 ≈ 4.3.

Important : Rounding to 1 decimal place is the same as rounding to the nearest

tenth.

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Rounding to 2 decimal places
The number line below shows decimals from 10.12 to 10.14. The decimals 10.125,
10.132 and 10.136 are also shown on the number line.

10.12 10.125 10.13 10.132 10.136 10.14

See that:
− 10.125 is centre of 10.12 and 10.13. So 10.125 is 10.13 when rounded to 2
decimals place. We write 10.125 ≈ 10.13.
− 10.132 is closer to 10.13 than 10.14. So 10.132 is 10.13 when rounded to 2
decimal places. We write 10.132 ≈ 10.13.
− 10.136 is closer to 10.14 than 10.13. So 10.136 is 10.14 when rounded to 2
decimal places. We write 10.136 ≈ 10.14.

Important : Rounding to 2 decimal places is the same as rounding to the nearest

hundredth.

Rounding off without number line

It may be time consuming to construct a number line. Apply the following steps to
round off numbers quickly and effectively.

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Example 1
Round off 4.36 to the nearest whole number.

Step 1: identify the digit in the place you are rounding off to. In the above
example, we underline the digit 4.

4.36
Step 2: circle the digit to the right of the underlined digit. In the above
example, we circle the digit 3.

4.36

Step 3: decide whether to round up or round down. If the circled number is

less than 5, we round down. If the circled number is 5 or great, then we
round up. Since 3 is less than 5, we round down the decimal to the whole
number 4.
In the case where we need to round up, we add a one to the underlined
place. Then the final answer will be 5 instead of 4. More on this later.
Step 4: write out the rounded off number. Ensure there are no digits appearing
after the underlined number.

4.36 ≈ 4 (ans)

Example 2
Round off 2.651 to the nearest tenth.

Step 1: identify the digit in the place you are rounding off to. In the above
example, we underline the digit 6.

2.651
Step 2: circle the digit to the right of the underlined digit. In the above
example, we circle the digit 5.

2.651

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Step 3: decide whether to round up or round down. Since 6 is more than 5, we
shall round up by adding a one to the underlined tenths place (digit 6).

Step 4: write out the rounded off number. Ensure there are no digits appearing
after the underlined number.

2.651≈ 2.7 (ans)

Example 3
Round off 3.197 to 2 decimal places.

Step 1: identify the digit in the place you are rounding off to. In the above
example, we underline the digit 9.

3.197
Step 2: circle the digit to the right of the underlined digit. In the above
example, we circle the digit 7.

3.197
Step 3: decide whether to round up or round down. Since 7 is more than 5, we
shall round up by adding a one to the underlined hundredths place (digit
9). Note that 9 + 1 = 10. So the digit in the hundredths place is now 0, and
we “carry” the 1 on to the digit 1 in the tenths place.
Step 4: write out the rounded off number. Ensure there are no digits appearing
after the underlined number.

3.197 ≈ 3.20 (ans)

Note that the digit 0 in the hundredths place must be written down since
we are rounding off to two decimal places (or to the nearest hundredths).
Writing 3.2 (instead of 3.20) will give a wrong answer even though 3.2
and 3.20 has the same value.

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Practice
Q1. Round off 3.458 to the nearest
(i) whole number,
(ii) tenth,
(iii) hundredth.

Ans: (i) _____________, (ii) _____________, (iii) _____________

Q2. Round off 10.982 to

(i) the nearest whole number,
(ii) 1 decimal place,
(iii) 2 decimal places.

Ans: (i) _____________, (ii) _____________, (iii) _____________

Answers:
Q1(a) 3 (b) 3.5 (c) 3.46
Q2(a) 11 (b) 11.0 (c) 10.98

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2 Addition and Subtraction
(a) Addition and subtraction of decimals (up to 2 decimal places)

Performing addition or subtraction with decimals is just like adding or subtracting

whole numbers, but you need to line up the decimal points properly during column
addition or subtraction. Lining up the decimals ensures that all the digits are properly
aligned in their correct places. Let’s review the steps:

Example 1
3.25 + 1.8 = _____________

Step 1: Carry out column addition, ensure that decimal points are aligned.

3 . 2 5
+ 1 . 8

Step 2: Add up the digits starting from the rightmost column. You can write
1.8 as 1.80. If the sum of digits is more than 9, perform carry over as you
would when adding whole numbers. Do not forget to add the decimal
point in your answer.

31 . 2 5
+ 1 . 8 0
5 . 0 5

3.25 + 1.8 = 5.05 (ans)

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Example 2
3.25 − 1.8 = _____________

Step 1: Carry out column subtraction, ensure that decimal points are aligned.

3 . 2 5
− 1 . 8

Step 2: Subtract the digits starting from the rightmost column. You can write
1.8 as 1.80. If the number on top is too small, “borrow” from the digit on
the left as you would when subtracting whole numbers. Do not forget to
add the decimal point in your answer.

23. 12 5
− 1 . 8 0
1 . 4 5

3.25 − 1.8 = 1.45 (ans)

Key Tips:

Always line up decimal points before adding/ subtracting.

If a number has fewer decimal places, add extra zeros to make them equal.
Add/subtract from right to left, just like whole numbers.
Perform “carry over” or “borrowing” where necessary.
Keep the decimal point in the same place in the answer.

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Practice
Q1 Find the sum of the following numbers.
(a) 5.2 + 4.36 = _____________
(b) 1.05 + 4.76 = _____________
(c) 8.99 + 3.02 = ____________

Q2 Find the difference between the following numbers.

(a) 8.51 – 4.4 = ____________
(b) 10.46 – 6.29 = _____________
(c) 19 – 7.28 = _____________

Answers:
Q1(a) 9.56 (b) 5.81 (c) 12.01
Q2 (a) 4.11 (b) 4.17 (c) 11.72

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3 Multiplication and Division
(a) Multiplying and dividing decimals (up to 2 decimal places) by a 1−digit
whole number

Multiplying decimals by a single-digit whole number is similar to column multiplication

of whole numbers. The only difference is placing the decimal point correctly in the final
answer. Let’s review the steps:

Example
4.72 × 3 = _____________

Step 1: Write out the column multiplication, with the single digit whole
number in the second row.

4 . 7 2
× 3

Step 2: Carry out column multiplication, multiplying the digit in the rightmost
column with the whole number as you would when performing column
multiplication with whole numbers. Carry over any excess digits. If
there are two decimal places in the original decimal, then count two
places from the right in your final answer and add in the decimal dot.

42 . 7 2 ← 2 decimal places here

× 3
1 4 . 1 6 ← 2 decimal places in final answer

Ans: 4.72 × 3 = 14.16 (ans)

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Dividing decimals by a single-digit whole number is similar to long division of whole
numbers. The key difference is placing the decimal point correctly in the quotient
(answer). Let’s review these steps:

Example 1
6.48 ÷ 3 = _____________

Step 1: Set up the long division frame.

3 6 . 4 8

Step 2: Carry out long division as you would when dividing with whole
numbers. Starting with the leftmost column, divide the number in the
leftmost column with the divisor (in this case, 3). The decimal point in the
quotient must be directly above the decimal in the dividend.

2 . 1 6
3 6 . 4 8
−6
0 4
− 3
1 8
− 1 8
0

6.48 ÷ 3 = 2.16 (ans)

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Example 2
1.68 ÷ 4 = _____________

Step 1: Set up the long division frame.

4 1 . 6 8

Step 2: Carry out long division as you would when dividing with whole
numbers. Starting with the leftmost column, divide the number in the
leftmost column with the divisor (in this case, 4). If the starting digit is not
large enough to be divided by the divisor, put a 0 above the digit and use
two digits instead. In the example below, when dividing by 4, we use 16
instead of 1.
The decimal point in the quotient must be directly above the decimal in
the dividend.

0. 4 2
4 1 . 6 8
−1 6
0 8
− 8
0

1.68 ÷ 4 = 0.42 (ans)

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Example 3
6.42 ÷ 6 = _____________

Step 1: Set up the long division frame.

6 6 . 4 2

Step 2: Carry out long division as you would when dividing with whole
numbers. Starting with the leftmost column, divide the number in the
leftmost column with the divisor (in this case, 4). If anytime in the long
division the number is not large enough to divide by the divisor, put a 0 in
the quotient and carry down the next number. In the example below, 4 is
not large enough to be divided 6. Here, we put a 0 in the quotient and
bring down the digit 2. Then we use 42 instead of 4 to be divided by 6.
The decimal point in the quotient must be directly above the decimal in
the dividend.

1. 0 7
6 6 . 4 2
−6
0 4 2
− 4 2
0

6.42 ÷ 6 = 1.07 (ans)

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Practice
Evaluate the following.
(a) 4.36 × 5 = _____________
(b) 9.64 ÷ 4 = ____________
(c) 42.49 ÷ 7 = ____________

Answers
(a) 21.8 (or 21.80) (b) 2.41 (c) 6.07

(b) Dividing a whole number by a whole number with quotient as a decimal

When we divide 13 objects into 4 groups, we get a quotient of 3 and a remainder

of 1.
13 ÷ 4 = 3 R 1
This means that each group has 3 objects and there is a leftover of 1 object.
However now that we have learnt decimals, we can treat the remainder of 1
whole as 10 tenths and continue to divide the remaining 10 tenths into 4 groups.
Let’s review the steps:

Example 1
Express 13 ÷ 4 as a decimal.

Step 1: Write out the long division frame and perform long division as usual.

3
4 1 3
−1 2
1

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Step 2: When we decide to divide the remainder into smaller parts, add a decimal
dot and a 0 at the end of the dividend (in this case, 13). Then we bring
down the digit 0 to combine it with the remainder (in this case, 1).

3
4 1 3 . 0
−1 2
1 0

Step 3: We then carry out division as how we have done in the previous examples
of division involving decimals. Observe there is a remainder of 2 tenths.

3 2
4 1 3 . 0
−1 2
1 0
− 8
2

Step 4: We will proceed to add another 0 at the end of the dividend (in this case
the dividend is now 13.00). Bring down the last 0 to combine it with the
remainder (in this case, 2) and continue to divide. Repeat until we have
no more remainder of any parts. The decimal point in the quotient must
be directly above the decimal in the dividend.

3 . 2 5
4 1 3 . 0 0
−1 2
1 0
− 8
2 0
− 2 0

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 0

13 ÷ 4 = 3.25 (ans)
Example 2
Divide 1 by 8.

Step 1: Write out the long division frame. If the starting digit is not large enough,
we put a decimal dot and 0 at the end of the dividend (in this case, 1) and
use 10 instead of 1. We also must put a 0 at the quotient t to indicate there
are no wholes.

0
8 1 . 0

Step 2: Now carry out long division and continue to add zeroes to the dividend
where necessary to divide until there is no remainder. The decimal point
in the quotient must be directly above the decimal in the dividend.

0 . 1 2 5
8 1 . 0 0 0
− 8
2 0
− 1 6
4 0
− 4 0
0

1 ÷ 8 = 0.125 (ans)

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Practice
Evaluate the following.
(a) 3 ÷ 4 = _____________
(b) 15 ÷ 8 = _____________
Answers
(a) 0.75 (b) 1.857
(c) Rounding quotients to a specified degree of accuracy

It is not always the case that all numbers can be divided until no remainder is left.
For example, when we divide 2 by 7, we get the following:
2 ÷ 7 = 0.285714285 …
The decimals go on and on indefinitely. In this case, we will have to round off the
quotient to a certain number of decimal places.

Example 1
Divide 11 by 7, express your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

Step 1: Carry out long division as usual, apply all the steps as we have reviewed
previously. Since the question requires an accuracy up to 1 decimal place,
we will stop long division when we have 2 decimal places in our
quotient. There is no need to obtain any more digits in our quotient since
we only require 2 decimals places for rounding off answers to 1 decimal
place.

1 . 5 7
7 1 1 . 0 0
− 7
4 0
− 3 5
5 0

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 − 4 0
1

Step 2: Once we have 2 decimal places, we can decide to round up or down with
the last digit. In the example above, we will round up (since 7 is greater or
equal to 5).
11 ÷ 7 ≈ 1.6 (ans)
Note the use of the approximate sign, instead of ‘=’. It is inaccurate to write
11 ÷ 7 = 1.6.

Example 2
Divide 15 by 9, express your answer correct to 2 decimal places.

Step 1: Carry out long division as usual, apply all the steps as we have reviewed
previously. Since the question requires an accuracy up to 1 decimal place,
we will stop long division when we have 3 decimal places in our
quotient. There is no need to obtain any more digits in our quotient since
we only require 3 decimals places for rounding off answers to 2 decimal
places.

1 . 6 6 6
9 1 5 . 0 0 0
− 9
6 0
− 5 4
6 0
− 5 4
6 0
− 5 4
6

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Step 2: Once we have 3 decimal places, we can decide to round up or down with
the last digit. In the example above, we will round up (since 6 is greater or
equal to 5).

15 ÷ 9 ≈ 1.67 (ans)
Note the use of the approximate sign, instead of ‘=’. It is inaccurate to write
15 ÷ 9 = 1.67 (ans)
Practice
(a) Divide 21 by 8, expressing your answer correct to the nearest whole number.
(b) Divide 4 by 9, expressing your answer correct to the nearest tenth.
(c) Divide 22 by 7, expressing your answer correct to 2 decimal places.

Answers:
(a) 3 (b) 0.4 (c) 3.14

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