Is a divisor the number of groups or the number of items in each group. Answers conflict on line. How would your answer support a model for a fourth grader?

Question

What does a divisor represent...The number of groups or the number in each group? Language is vague in texts and on-line answers. I say the number of groups is a known entity. 

Answer 1

 

   Divisor is the number you are dividing BY and it goes outside the division box or in the denominator of the fraction.

   It is the number of items in each group.

 

  The dividend is the number you are diving INTO and it goes inside the division box or the numerator of the fraction.

 It is the total number of items.

 

The quotient is the number of groups.

 

 

For example, a bag has 10 marbles. We wish to put them in groups of 3.

10 is the dividend.

3 is the divisor.

   _______

3 |   10

 

or 10/3

 

The quotient (the answer to the division) is 3.

Then remainder is 1.

 

That is, of the 10 marbles, there are 3 whole 

groups of 3, with a remainder of 1.