Dividing is the process of splitting a number into equal parts or groups. It is the opposite of multiplication. When we divide one number by another, we are finding out how many times the second number can fit into the first number.
Number and Operations: Students' work in dividing fractions shows them that they can express the result of dividing two whole numbers as a fraction (viewed as parts of a whole). Students then extend their work in grade 5 with division of whole numbers to give mixed number and decimal solutions to division problems with whole numbers. They recognize that ratio tables not only derive from rows in the multiplication table but also connect with equivalent fractions. Students distinguish multiplicative comparisons from additive comparisons.