Division Facts: 3 Through 9

Learning how to divide by numbers like 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 might seem tricky at first, but there is a simple secret to mastering it: use your multiplication tables! Division is just multiplication in reverse.

The Secret Trick: Think Multiplication

Whenever you are faced with a division problem, you can turn it into a multiplication question.

Let's look at the problem: $56 \div 7 = ?$

Instead of trying to divide 56 into 7 groups in your head, ask yourself: "What number times 7 equals 56?"

Because you know your multiplication facts, you know that: $7 \times 8 = 56$

Since $7 \times 8 = 56$, the answer to the division problem is simply $8$! $56 \div 7 = 8$

Let's Practice with Examples

Here are a few more examples showing how multiplication helps us solve division facts for 3 through 9.

Example 1: Divide by 3

Find the answer to $21 \div 3$.

• Think: $3 \times ? = 21$
• Know: $3 \times 7 = 21$
• Answer: $21 \div 3 = 7$

Example 2: Divide by 4

Find the answer to $32 \div 4$.

• Think: $4 \times ? = 32$
• Know: $4 \times 8 = 32$
• Answer: $32 \div 4 = 8$

Example 3: Divide by 9

Find the answer to $54 \div 9$.

• Think: $9 \times ? = 54$
• Know: $9 \times 6 = 54$
• Answer: $54 \div 9 = 6$

Why This Works: Fact Families

Multiplication and division belong to the same fact family. A fact family is a group of math facts created using the exact same set of numbers. For example, the numbers 6, 8, and 48 make up this fact family:

• $6 \times 8 = 48$
• $8 \times 6 = 48$
• $48 \div 6 = 8$
• $48 \div 8 = 6$

If you know one of these facts, you know them all! The better you memorize your multiplication tables from 3 through 9, the faster and easier division will become.