division
Division with money
Share costs, work out unit prices and split totals.
Quick answer
Division with money means splitting a total amount into equal parts or sharing costs fairly. You can use division to work out how much each person should pay when sharing something, or to find the unit price of items.Learning outcome
By the end of this page, you will be able to share money fairly between people and work out how much one item costs when you know the total cost for several items. Success signs:- You can divide a total amount of money by a number of people to find how much each person gets
- You can work out the unit price of items by dividing the total cost by the number of items
- You can solve problems where money is shared or split fairly
- You can use division to solve everyday money problems
Why this matters
Division with money helps you solve real-life problems every day. When you go shopping with friends, you need to share the cost fairly. When you buy several items, you can work out how much each one costs. These skills help you be confident with money and make good choices when you're spending or saving. In school, division with money helps you understand fractions, decimals, and percentages better. It also helps you prepare for more complex maths like ratios and algebra. Whether you're planning a party, sharing a pizza, or saving up for a toy, knowing how to divide money is useful.How it works
Division with money works just like regular division, but instead of numbers, you're working with pounds and pence. Here's how to do it: First, you need to know the total amount of money you have. Then, you need to know how many people or items you're sharing it with. If you're sharing money between people, you divide the total amount by the number of people. If you're finding the cost of one item, you divide the total cost by the number of items. For example, if you have £12 and want to share it equally between 4 friends, you would divide 12 by 4 to get £3 each. If you buy 6 pencils for £3, you would divide 3 by 6 to find out that each pencil costs 50p.Examples you can see
Let's look at some real-life examples to help you understand how to divide money. Example 1: Sharing a bill Imagine you and your 3 friends go to a café and the total bill is £20. You want to split the cost equally between all of you. How much does each person pay? To solve this, you divide £20 by 4 people: £20 ÷ 4 = £5 Each person pays £5. Example 2: Finding the unit price You buy 5 toy cars for £15. How much does each car cost? To find this, you divide the total cost by the number of cars: £15 ÷ 5 = £3 Each car costs £3. Example 3: Splitting a reward You and your 2 siblings win £24 in a competition. You want to share it equally. How much does each person get? You divide £24 by 3 people: £24 ÷ 3 = £8 Each person gets £8. Example 4: Sharing snacks You have 12 cookies and want to share them equally between 6 friends. How many cookies does each friend get? This is division with whole numbers: 12 ÷ 6 = 2 Each friend gets 2 cookies.Try it as a mini adventure
The Great Cookie Sale You are running a cookie sale for your school fundraiser. You have made 24 cookies and want to sell them at a fair price. You decide to sell them in packs of 4 cookies for £2 each. You have a challenge: How much does each cookie cost when you sell them in packs? Let's solve this step by step: 1st time: You have 24 cookies in total 2nd time: You want to sell them in packs of 4 3rd time: Each pack costs £2 4th time: You need to find the cost of 1 cookie To find the cost of 1 cookie, you divide the cost of the pack by the number of cookies in the pack: £2 ÷ 4 = 50p Each cookie costs 50p. Now, if you sell all 24 cookies, how much money do you make? You have 24 cookies and sell them in packs of 4: 24 ÷ 4 = 6 packs 6 packs × £2 = £12 You make £12 from selling all your cookies.Common mistakes
- Mistake: Forgetting to include pence when dividing money
Why it happens: Children might only think about pounds and forget that 100 pence = £1
Fix: Always remember that £1 = 100p and write your answers in pounds and pence correctly - Mistake: Mixing up the order of division
Why it happens: Children might divide the number of people by the total money instead of the other way around
Fix: Remember that total money ÷ number of people = amount per person - Mistake: Not checking if the answer makes sense
Why it happens: Children might not think about whether their answer is realistic
Fix: Ask yourself "Does this answer seem right?" If you have £10 and 2 people, each person should get £5, not £20 - Mistake: Confusing division with multiplication
Why it happens: Children might accidentally multiply instead of divide
Fix: Remember that division means splitting equally, so the answer should be smaller than the total amount
Parent and carer guide
As a parent or carer, you can help your child practice division with money in many fun ways: Practice together: Use real money or play money to practice sharing coins and notes. Ask questions like "If you have £10 and want to share it equally with 2 friends, how much does each person get?" Everyday opportunities: When shopping, ask your child to help calculate how much each item costs if you buy several. For example, "If 3 apples cost £1.50, how much does each apple cost?" Make it visual: Use objects like counters, coins, or blocks to show division. You can also draw pictures to represent the problem. Encourage checking: Always ask your child to check if their answer makes sense. If they're dividing £20 between 4 people, they should expect each person to get less than £20. Keep it positive: Division can be tricky, but it's important to celebrate small successes and be patient when mistakes happen. Watch for: Your child might struggle with the concept if they don't understand what "sharing equally" means. Make sure they understand that division means splitting into equal parts.Practice questions
- £16 is shared equally between 4 friends. How much does each person get?
Answer: £4 - You buy 6 stickers for £3. How much does each sticker cost?
Answer: 50p - £25 is shared equally between 5 people. How much does each person get?
Answer: £5 - You buy 8 pens for £4. How much does each pen cost?
Answer: 50p - £30 is shared equally between 6 people. How much does each person get?
Answer: £5
FAQ
How do I know if I should divide when I see money? When you see a total amount of money and want to find how much each person gets or how much one item costs, you should divide.
Can I use division with pence? Yes! You can divide pence just like pounds. For example, 50p ÷ 2 = 25p.
What happens if the answer is not a whole number? Sometimes you get answers like 75p or 25p. These are perfectly fine answers when working with money.
Why is it important to learn division with money? Division with money helps you share fairly, understand prices, and make smart choices when spending or saving your money.
Can I use division with any amount of money? Yes! You can use division with any amount of money, whether it's £1 or £1000.