Long division breaks a division into single-digit steps. Working left to right through the dividend, you see how many whole times the divisor fits, write that digit of the quotient, subtract, and carry the leftover to the next digit. What remains at the end is the remainder. The result always satisfies dividend = quotient × divisor + remainder. This calculator shows the quotient, remainder, decimal, and every step.
Reviewed: June 20, 2026 · Author: Naveen P N, Founder — AI Calculator · Verified against: the division algorithm, recomputed in code.
The method
Long division turns a hard division into a sequence of easy ones, one digit at a time. At each step the current number is divided by the divisor to give the next quotient digit, the product is subtracted, and the remainder is carried forward with the next digit brought down. When the digits run out, the leftover is the integer remainder; bring down zeros to keep going and you get the decimal expansion instead.
Worked example — 100 ÷ 7
Scenario: divide 100 by 7.
For 100 ÷ 7: the first two digits "10" hold one 7 (remainder 3); bringing down the 0 makes 30, which holds four 7s = 28 (remainder 2). So the quotient is 14 with remainder 2, and the check 14 × 7 + 2 = 100 confirms it. As a decimal that's about 14.2857…, a repeating decimal. By contrast 144 ÷ 12 comes out exactly at 12 with remainder 0.
Frequently Asked Questions
Left to right: bring down a digit, fit the divisor, write the quotient digit, subtract, carry the remainder. 100 ÷ 7 → 14 r 2.
a ÷ b: dividend a, divisor b, quotient = whole times b fits, remainder = leftover. 17 = 3 × 5 + 2.
The leftover after whole multiples are removed, always < divisor. 17 ÷ 5 → 2. Remainder 0 means exact (144 ÷ 12).
Divide remainder by divisor, or bring down zeros. 17 ÷ 5: 2 ÷ 5 = 0.4 → 3.4. 100 ÷ 7 ≈ 14.2857.
Undefined — no answer exists. The divisor can't be 0. But 0 ÷ b = 0 remainder 0 is fine.