How to use the bus stop method in short division

Key points

Short division is also known as the bus stop method and is often used to divide large numbers.
Division is sharing things out or working out how many times one number goes into another. Division is the of multiplication.
When doing short division, it can be useful to know your times tables. It is also important to be able to work out if values do not divide exactly.
In the calculation 36 ÷ 3 = 12, 36 is the , 3 is the and the is 12
If a digit in the answer is it can be shown in the answer with a dot above the repeating digit.

Set out the division. Write the question in bus stop form.
Starting with the first digit, divide each digit of the by the . Write the answers above the line.
A zero at the start is used as a place holder in the working out to keep it lined up - it is not written in the answer.
If there is a remainder when dividing a digit, carry the remainder to the next digit.

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How to use short division to work out 3052 ÷ 4
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Write the question in bus stop form. The 4 is the divisor and goes outside the bus stop. The 3,052 is the dividend and goes inside the bus stop. The quotient will be written on the top of the bus stop.
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Start with 3 ÷ 4. 3 ÷ 4 is 0 remainder 3. Write 0 above the 3 and carry the remainder 3 to the next digit to give 30
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30 ÷ 4 is 7 remainder 2. Write the 7 above the 0 and carry the remainder 2 to the next digit to give 25
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25 ÷ 4 is 6 remainder 1. Write the 6 above the 5 and carry the remainder 1 to the next digit to give 12
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12 ÷ 4 is 3. Write the 3 above the 2. There is no remainder so the calculation is complete. The first digit of the answer is 7. Write out the answer clearly. 3052 ÷ 4 = 763

Use short division to work out 8785 ÷ 7. You might need a pen and paper to solve this problem.

When one number cannot divide completely into another number, there is a .
If there is a remainder when you calculate the last digit, add a decimal point to the number to be divided and a decimal point above that in the answer space.
If a decimal place answer digit is , it can be shown in the answer with a dot above the repeating digit. If a decimal number has digits that ends, it is a .

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Use short division to work out 917 ÷ 6. There will be a remainder because 917 is odd and all numbers in the 6 times table are even. Extend to include a decimal point and decimal places.
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Start with 9 ÷ 6. 9 ÷ 6 is 1 remainder 3. Write 1 above the 9 and carry the remainder 3 to the next digit to give 31
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31 ÷ 6 is 5 remainder 1. Write 5 above the 1 and carry the remainder 1 to the next digit to give 17
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17 ÷ 6 is 2 remainder 5. Write 2 above the 7 and carry the remainder 5 to the next digit to give 50 after the decimal point.
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At this stage, the answer may be written with the remainder or written with the remainder shown as a fraction. The remainder is 5 and the divisor is 6, the fraction is 5⁄6
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To write the answer as a decimal, continue the process. 50 ÷ 6 is 8 remainder 2. Write the 8 above the zero and carry the remainder 2 to the next digit.
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20 ÷ 6 is 3 remainder 2. Write the 3 above the zero and carry the remainder 2 to the next digit.
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20 ÷ 6 is 3 remainder 2. Write the 3 above the zero and carry the remainder 2 to the next digit to give the digits 20. The digit 3 is recurring and is shown in the answer with a dot above the repeating digit. Write the answer clearly 917 ÷ 6 = 152∙8333… This answer is a recurring decimal.

Use short division to work out 73 ÷ 5. You might need a pen and paper to solve this problem.

Try this quiz to practise short division. You might need a pen and paper to solve the problems in this quiz.

A waiter may need to divide a bill for a group of friends who are eating out at a restaurant so that the cost is split equally between the group.
A gardener may need to calculate how many grams of organic fertilizer they can allocate to each of their 6 raised vegetable beds.