What Is The Break-apart Method In Division?

The break-apart method in division groups all numbers in an equation into smaller, more manageable arrays of numbers; this method allows the student or mathematician to understand a complex problem more easily.

By cutting complicated equations into smaller groups, it is easier to solve each piece, or array, and then complete the equation. When teachers use this method to instruct students, students can solve problems through a logical process that doesn't overwhelm. They may also have less need for electronic aids, such as calculators.

The Method Offers Many Benefits

• This sensible paring down of a long-winded equation is an excellent way to teach the rudiments of division, or instruct students regarding intermediate or difficult division problems.

• Whether writing on a classroom blackboard or a notebook (or typing on a laptop computer), the problem will seem more understandable, and more solvable, when it is laid out in the break-apart method. For this reason, the break-apart method of division remains a popular way to approach the mathematical problems of solving division equations.

Smaller arrays of numbers may appear in brackets, to be solved one by one; the individual array answers will then be calculated as a group. Arrays are rectangular groupings of objects; these appear in rows or columns. These visual spacing of these arrays, and their natural order, helps students to understand the underlying concepts of break-away division. This type of array format is also used to solve multiplication problems.

There are many reference sources for learning or teaching this mathematical method. Online tutorials, textbooks, and workbooks are available on the World Wide Web. The break-away form of equation is simple, yet ingenious, way of balancing equations in a visual sense, so they are easier to process intellectually. The spatial organization of problems is used to spur learning and to enforce order before attempting a division problem.