Ways to Multiply and Divide
Class 5 · Mathematics
4 ideas in Class 5 Mathematics, explained in plain words, with games and quizzes to practise.
Multiplying by Splitting the Multiplier
Part of: Multiplying bigger numbers
To multiply 24 by 13, split 13 into 10 and 3. Multiply 24 by 3 to get 72, then 24 by 10 to get 240, and add them: 72 + 240 is 312. When you multiply by the tens part, you can write a zero first and then multiply by the tens digit.
Why it matters. This method breaks one hard multiplication into two easy ones. Children who skip the placeholder zero often get answers that are ten times too small.
Try it in two minutes
- Write 16 × 12 on paper. Ask your child: how can we split 12?
- Find 16 × 2 and 16 × 10 together and add them.
- Ask: why do we get a zero at the end of 16 × 10?
- Try 21 × 14 and let your child lead.
Try at home. Ask your child to multiply their house number or a birthday date by 11 using the splitting method.
Multiplication in Money, Area and Time
Part of: Multiplying bigger numbers
Many daily problems repeat the same amount again and again. If a helper earns ₹ 80 a day, then 25 days of work earn 80 × 25. The same idea gives the cost of many litres at a price per litre, or the area of a rectangle as length times breadth.
Why it matters. Children need to decide what to multiply by what. Common slips are forgetting that a year has 365 days, or multiplying months by days.
Try it in two minutes
- Ask: if a bus ticket costs ₹ 15, how much for 12 tickets?
- Ask: if you drink 6 glasses of water a day, how many in a week? In a month of 30 days?
- Let your child draw a rectangle 8 m by 5 m and find its area.
- Ask what you would multiply by to find a year's total.
Try at home. Ask your child to work out how many glasses of water your family drinks in one week.
Dividing in Easy Steps with Remainders
Part of: Dividing bigger numbers
Division can be done in chunks. To find 756 ÷ 3, take out 3 × 200 which is 600. What is left is 156, and 156 ÷ 3 is 52. So the answer is 200 + 52, which is 252. Sometimes a few things are left over; that is called the remainder.
Why it matters. Chunking builds confidence before the full long division. Remainders in stories are tricky: 8 buses with 10 children still waiting means 9 buses are needed.
Try it in two minutes
- Share 50 sweets or beans among 6 plates. Ask: how many on each plate and how many are left?
- Say: what does the leftover number tell us?
- Ask: 250 children, 30 in one bus, how many buses must we book?
- Let your child explain why a bus for the last few children is needed.
Try at home. Give your child 100 beans and ask them to share them equally among 8 bowls and say what is left over.
Checking Division and Choosing the Right Sum
Part of: Dividing bigger numbers
Multiplication and division undo each other. If 936 ÷ 6 is 156, then 156 × 6 must give back 936. If it does not, the division has a mistake. The same thinking helps you choose a sum: finding the total of equal groups needs multiplication, and finding how many groups needs division.
Why it matters. Children who check their own answers become more confident and catch careless errors by themselves. Choosing the right sum is the heart of solving word problems.
Try it in two minutes
- Say: 20 divided by 4 is 5. Ask: what multiplication proves it?
- Try 84 ÷ 7 and check by multiplying back.
- Give a story: 12 boxes with 6 eggs each. Ask: do we multiply or divide to get the total?
- Change the story: 72 eggs in boxes of 6. Ask: now which sum?
Try at home. Ask your child to make up two short stories, one for multiplication and one for division, using the same two numbers.
What your child will practise
- Checking Division and Choosing the Right Sum: Number Quest (Collect the Answer)
- Dividing in Easy Steps with Remainders: Desert Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Dividing in Easy Steps with Remainders: Space Order (Put It In Order)
- Multiplication in Money, Area and Time: Jungle Puzzle (Clue Puzzle)
- Multiplying by Splitting the Multiplier: Treasure Quest (Match It Up)
- Quiz: Checking Division and Choosing the Right Sum (8 questions)
- Quiz: Dividing in Easy Steps with Remainders (8 questions)
- Quiz: Multiplication in Money, Area and Time (8 questions)
- Quiz: Multiplying by Splitting the Multiplier (8 questions)