Dividing decimals can sometimes feel tricky, but with a clear understanding of the process, it becomes straightforward. This guide will walk you through how to solve 18.5 divided by 20, explaining the steps in detail and offering helpful tips for similar problems.
Understanding the Problem: 18.5 รท 20
The problem we're tackling is finding the quotient of 18.5 divided by 20. This means we're looking for how many times 20 goes into 18.5. Since 18.5 is smaller than 20, our answer will be a decimal less than 1.
Method 1: Long Division
The traditional method of long division works perfectly here. Let's break it down:
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Set up the problem: Write the problem as a long division problem: 20 | 18.5
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Add a decimal point: Since we're dividing into a decimal, add a decimal point directly above the decimal point in 18.5 in your answer space.
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Add a zero: Add a zero to 18.5 to make it easier to divide. It now becomes 18.50.
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Divide: Now, ask yourself: how many times does 20 go into 185? The answer is 9. Write 9 above the 5 in 18.50.
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Multiply and subtract: Multiply 9 by 20 (which is 180) and subtract this from 185. The result is 5.
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Bring down the zero: Bring down the next digit (0) to make it 50.
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Divide again: How many times does 20 go into 50? It goes in 2 times. Write 2 above the 0 in 18.50.
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Multiply and subtract: Multiply 2 by 20 (which is 40) and subtract this from 50. The result is 10.
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Add more zeros (if needed): You can continue adding zeros to the end of the dividend (18.5000...) and continuing the division to get a more precise answer. However, for most purposes, we will stop here.
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The answer: The answer is approximately 0.925.
Method 2: Converting to Fractions
Another approach is to convert the division problem into a fraction and simplify:
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Represent as a fraction: 18.5 divided by 20 can be written as the fraction 18.5/20.
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Remove the decimal: Multiply both the numerator and denominator by 10 to remove the decimal point in the numerator: (18.5 * 10) / (20 * 10) = 185/200
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Simplify the fraction: Find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of 185 and 200, which is 5. Divide both numerator and denominator by 5: 185/5 = 37 and 200/5 = 40. This simplifies to 37/40.
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Convert to decimal: Now, divide 37 by 40. You will get 0.925.
Conclusion
Both methods yield the same result: 18.5 divided by 20 is 0.925. Choose the method you find more comfortable and remember to practice to improve your decimal division skills. Understanding these methods will help you confidently tackle similar problems in the future.
