Confused by long division? By the end of this article, you’ll be able to divide 15 by 2 using long division and be able to apply the same technique to any other long division problem you have! Let’s take a look.
Okay so the first thing we need to do is clarify the terms so that you know what each part of the division is:
- The first number, 15, is called the dividend.
- The second number, 2 is called the divisor.
What we’ll do here is break down each step of the long division process into 15 divided by 2 and explain each of them so you understand exactly what is going on.
15 divided by 2 step-by-step guide
Step 1
The first step is to set up our division problem with the divisor on the left side and the dividend on the right side as we have it below:
| 2 | 15 |
Step 2
We can work out that the divisor (2) goes into the first digit of the dividend (1), 0 time(s). Now we know that, we can put 0 at the top:
| 0 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 5 |
Step 3
If we multiply the divisor by the result in the previous step (2 x 0 = 0), we can now add that answer below the dividend:
| 0 | |||||
| 2 | 1 | 5 | |||
| 0 |
Step 4
Next, we will subtract the result from the previous step from the second digit of the dividend (1 – 0 = 1) and write that answer below:
| 0 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 0 | ||
| 1 |
Step 5
Move the second digit of the dividend (5) down like so:
| 0 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 0 | ||
| 1 | 5 |
Step 6
The divisor (2) goes into the bottom number (15), 7 time(s), so we can put 7 on top:
| 0 | 7 | |
| 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 0 | ||
| 1 | 5 |
Step 7
If we multiply the divisor by the result in the previous step (2 x 7 = 14), we can now add that answer below the dividend:
| 0 | 7 | |
| 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 0 | ||
| 1 | 5 | |
| 1 | 4 |
Step 8
Next, we will subtract the result from the previous step from the third digit of the dividend (15 – 14 = 1) and write the answer below:
| 0 | 7 | |
| 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 0 | ||
| 1 | 5 | |
| 1 | 4 | |
| 1 |
So, what is the answer to 15 divided by 2?
If you made it this far into the tutorial, well done! There are no more digits to move down from the dividend, which means we have completed the long division problem.
Your answer is the top number, and any remainder will be the bottom number. So, for 15 divided by 2, the final solution is:
7
Remainder 1
Extra calculations for you
Now you’ve learned the long division approach to 15 divided by 2, here are a few other ways you might do the calculation:
- Using a calculator, if you typed in 15 divided by 2, you’d get 7.5.
- You could also express 15/2 as a mixed fraction: 7 1/2
- If you look at the mixed fraction 7 1/2, you’ll see that the numerator is the same as the remainder (1), the denominator is our original divisor (2), and the whole number is our final answer (7).
Video Tutorial
What is 15/2 as a percentage?
Solution and how to convert 15 / 2 into a percentage
Sometimes, you may want to express a fraction in the form of a percentage, or vice-versa. This page will cover the former case. Luckily for us, this problem only requires a bit of multiplication and division. We recommend that you use a calculator, but solving these problems by hand or in your head is possibly too! Here’s how we discovered that 15 / 2 = 750% :
- Step 1: Divide 15 by 2 to get the number as a decimal. 15 / 2 = 7.5
- Step 2: Multiply 7.5 by 100. 7.5 times 100 = 750. That’s all there is to it!
Note that you can reverse steps 1 and 2 and still come to the same solution. If you multiply 15 by 100 and then divide the result by 2, you will still come to 750!
When is this useful?
Fractions are commonly used in everyday life. If you are splitting a bill or trying to score a test, you will often describe the problem using fractions. Sometimes, you may want to express the fraction as a percentage.
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