Divide numbers ending in zeroes: word problems

Key Points to Remember

• Numbers ending in zeroes are multiples of 10, 100, 1,000, etc.
• When dividing, you can first divide the non-zero digits, then add the zeroes at the end.
• Always check your answer by multiplying!

Step-by-Step Method

• Ignore the zeroes for now.
• Divide the main numbers.
• Add the zeroes back to your answer if needed.

Examples

Example 1:
Divide 600 by 3.

• Ignore the zeroes: 6 ÷ 3 = 2
• There are two zeroes in 600, so add them back: 200
• Answer: 600 ÷ 3 = 200

Example 2:
Divide 4,000 by 8.

• Ignore the zeroes: 40 ÷ 8 = 5
• There are two zeroes left in 4,000, so add them back: 500
• Answer: 4,000 ÷ 8 = 500

Word Problems

Problem 1:
A school has 900 pencils. If each box can hold 30 pencils, how many boxes are needed?

• Divide: 900 ÷ 30
• Ignore zeroes: 90 ÷ 3 = 30
• Answer: 30 boxes

Problem 2:
A farmer packs 2,400 apples equally into 6 baskets. How many apples are in each basket?

• Divide: 2,400 ÷ 6
• Ignore zeroes: 24 ÷ 6 = 4
• Add the two zeroes: 400
• Answer: 400 apples per basket

Problem 3:
A factory produces 5,000 bottles in 10 days. How many bottles are made each day?

• Divide: 5,000 ÷ 10
• Ignore zeroes: 500 ÷ 1 = 500
• Answer: 500 bottles per day

Practice Questions

1. 800 ÷ 4 = ?
2. 7,000 ÷ 7 = ?
3. 2,100 ÷ 30 = ?
4. 12,000 ÷ 6 = ?

Tips

• Always check if you can simplify the numbers by removing the same number of zeroes from both the dividend and the divisor.
• Practice with different numbers to get comfortable!

Summary

Dividing numbers ending in zeroes is easy if you break the problem into simple steps. Remember to ignore the zeroes at first, divide the main numbers, and then add the zeroes back to your answer.

let’s practice: