What the leftover means, step by step
38 children and each bus holds 12.
The question
How many boxes are needed to pack them all?
The division is not the answer
altogether:28· each:6
6×4=24
28−24=4
whole ones:4· left over:4
5
- Two numbers to start with: 28 altogether, going 6 at a time. Nothing has been worked out yet.
- Do the division first, because every one of these needs it. 6 goes into 28 4 times: 6 × 4 = 24, and 28 − 24 = 4 over.
- Now stop and read the question again. It is asking how many containers are NEEDED — and those two numbers, 4 and 4, are the answers to two DIFFERENT questions about the same division.
- The 4 left over still have to go somewhere, and there is nowhere left, so one more is wanted: 4 + 1.
How it works.
- 01
Two numbers to start with: 28 altogether, going 6 at a time. Nothing has been worked out yet.
- 02
Do the division first, because every one of these needs it. 6 goes into 28 4 times: 6 × 4 = 24, and 28 − 24 = 4 over.
- 03
Now stop and read the question again. It is asking how many containers are NEEDED — and those two numbers, 4 and 4, are the answers to two DIFFERENT questions about the same division.
- 04
The 4 left over still have to go somewhere, and there is nowhere left, so one more is wanted: 4 + 1.