Division on the soroban relies on estimation and repeated subtraction, and it is carried out from left to right, place by place.
The steps
- Place the dividend on the abacus and keep the divisor.
- Estimate how many times the divisor fits into the current part, and write the quotient digit.
- Subtract (digit × divisor) from the dividend, then move to the next place.
Example: 96 ÷ 4
- 9 ÷ 4 = 2 remainder 1 → the quotient starts with 2, leaving 16.
- 16 ÷ 4 = 4 → quotient 24, remainder 0.
Division is the reverse of multiplication; mastering multiplication makes estimating the quotient easier. Start with the division lesson.