Multiplication or Division?

🎯 What You'll Learn

You will get better at deciding whether a problem needs multiplication or division.

🏪 Market Story

Bola and Funke are at the market. Sometimes they know the price of one item and need the total for many (multiply!). Other times they know the total and need to find the price of one (divide!). Let's practise telling the difference.

📝 Let's Learn

Multiply when: You know the amount for one and need the total for many.

Divide when: You know the total and need to find the amount for one, or you need to split into groups.

Problem 1: "6 pencils at ₦8 each. What's the total?" Know price of one, want total → Multiply: 6 × ₦8 = ₦48.

Problem 2: "₦48 for 6 pencils. What's the price of one?" Know total, want price of one → Divide: ₦48 ÷ 6 = ₦8.

Problem 3: "3 people each carry 4 bags." Equal groups → Multiply: 3 × 4 = 12 bags.

Problem 4: "12 bags shared among 3 people." Sharing equally → Divide: 12 ÷ 3 = 4 bags each.

✏️ Practice Questions

1. Emeka buys 5 meat pies at ₦30 each. How much in total? (Multiply or divide?)
2. ₦150 is shared equally among 5 children. How much does each get? (Multiply or divide?)
3. A crate holds 4 rows of eggs with 8 eggs per row. How many eggs? (Multiply or divide?)

Click to see answers

1. Multiply. 5 × ₦30 = ₦150.
2. Divide. ₦150 ÷ 5 = ₦30 each.
3. Multiply. 4 × 8 = 32 eggs.

💡 Remember

If you know the price of one and want the total: multiply. If you know the total and want to find one: divide. They are opposites!