Dividing by 12, step by step
Twelve is four threes, so dividing by 12 is two halvings and then a three — three small steps a child already owns.
The question
132 ÷ 12
132÷12
12×?=132
12×11=132
132÷12=11
11×12=132
- 132 ÷ 12 means sharing 132 out equally between 12. Deal them round one at a time until they run out; the answer is how many end up in one share.
- Dealing out 132 one at a time works, and takes all day. The shortcut is the same fact read backwards: 12 shares of WHAT makes 132?
- 12 × 11 = 132. That is the one, so 132 ÷ 12 = 11.
- Worth checking, because it costs one multiplication: 11 × 12 = 132. It matches, so the answer holds.
How it works.
- 01
132 ÷ 12 means sharing 132 out equally between 12. Deal them round one at a time until they run out; the answer is how many end up in one share.
- 02
Dealing out 132 one at a time works, and takes all day. The shortcut is the same fact read backwards: 12 shares of WHAT makes 132?
- 03
12 × 11 = 132. That is the one, so 132 ÷ 12 = 11.
- 04
Worth checking, because it costs one multiplication: 11 × 12 = 132. It matches, so the answer holds.