How to Divide Decimals by Powers of Ten

Sheena Doria

This instructional video provides a clear, step-by-step tutorial on mental math strategies for dividing decimals. It specifically focuses on two distinct patterns: dividing decimals by decimal powers of ten (0.1, 0.01, 0.001) and dividing decimals by whole number powers of ten (10, 100, 1000). The narrator uses a consistent visual format to demonstrate how these operations result in shifting the decimal point either to the right or to the left based on the number of decimal places or zeros involved. The video is structured around six specific examples that increase in complexity, moving from basic shifts to problems requiring the addition of placeholder zeros. Visual cues, including yellow highlighting boxes and animated curved arrows, explicitly show students how to count places and where to reposition the decimal point. The lesson concludes with a summary screen that reinforces the two core rules learned: counting decimal places to move right, and counting zeros to move left. For educators, this resource serves as an excellent tool for teaching place value concepts and computational fluency. It demystifies decimal division by replacing long calculation processes with efficient patterns. The video is particularly useful for helping students visualize why numbers get larger when divided by values less than one and smaller when divided by values greater than one, addressing a common conceptual hurdle in middle grades mathematics.