5.7 Introduction and Key Insights

Finally, we need to understand how to divide decimal expressions. Dividing decimals works in a similar way to multiplying them, where you can understand quick calculations in terms of moving the decimal place.

Here is a simple example. Consider this division calculation (expressed using fractions):

$\frac{1}{2} \div \frac{1}{4} = \frac{4}{2} = 2$

In decimal notation, this equation becomes:

$0.5 \div 0.25 = 2$

This may look a little strange at first, but it might make it easier to think about in terms of money. You can consider the $0.5$ as $0.50$ or fifty cents and the $0.25$ as one quarter. There are two quarters in fifty cents. As with multiplication, when you divide decimal expressions, you can avoid converting them into fractions and follow the helpful rules for moving the decimal point.