Division by 3 is the process of separating a total number of items into three equal groups or finding how many groups of three are in a number. It is the inverse operation of multiplication by 3.
Division answers the questions: "How many in each equal group?" or "How many groups of this size can I make?"
Memorizing the division facts for 3, up to a quotient of 12, will help you solve problems quickly and accurately.
Notice the pattern: each dividend (the number being divided) increases by 3, and the quotient increases by 1. These facts are directly related to the 3s multiplication facts.
Since division is the opposite of multiplication, you can solve a division problem by thinking of a related multiplication fact.
If you know your 3s multiplication table (3, 6, 9, 12, 15...), you already know the answers to these division problems.
Word problems help us understand how division by 3 is used in real-life situations.
Always identify the total number (dividend) and the number of groups or the group size (divisor). The answer (quotient) tells you the size or number of groups.