Home | Math | What is a Remainder Mean In Math?

What is a Remainder Mean In Math?

August 20, 2022
written by Azhar Ejaz

The remainder is a part a division refers to the remaining part, after the completion of the division process. If we divide 5 books among 4 children equally, we are left with 1 book.

This example is translated into math, the remaining 1 book is the remainder. Also, if you divide the number 25, with a number 3, the quotient is 8 and the remainder is 1. The remainder is always less than the divisor.

In math, the remainder is something that is left over after the calculations. In numerous instances, the remainders are ignored or rounded, to give only a whole number of answers. In the decimal number 7.03, the number 3 after the decimal is the remainder and is sometimes ignored to give only the whole number answer 7. In this article learn more about remainder and its use in Mathematics

What is the remainder in the division?

The remainder, as its name suggests, is something that “remains” after completing a task. In math, the number 19 cannot be exactly divided by the number 3. After the division process, the number 1 is left hence 1 is called the remainder.

Definition of Remainder?

The remainder is a part of a division. It is a left-over digit we get while performing division. When there is an incomplete division after certain steps we get the remainder as an answer. It is left over when a few objects are divided into groups with an equal number of objects. If we divide 6 flowers among 4 children equally, we are left with 2 flowers. the remaining 1 flower is the remainder.

Calculate the remainder by using a long division method.

We cannot always pictorially represent how we divide the number of things equally among the groups in order to calculate the remainder. we can calculate the remainder using the long division method.

feature image remainder

How to represent Remainder?

Let us divide 5 by 2 using long division and see what the quotient and the remainder are. The quotient, divisor, and the remainder can be together written as a mixed fraction to indicate the dividend. The remainder forms the numerator of the mixed fraction, the divisor forms the denominator, and the quotient from the whole number part of the mixed fraction.

feature image of remainder

We can denote the remainder of the division in two ways

  • One is by writing the quotient and the remainder with an “R” in between them. The number 5 divided by 2 can be written as 5/2 = Q=2 and R=1. Here 2 is a quotient, Q=2, and R=1 is a remainder.
  • Another way to show the remainder is by denoting it as a part of a mixed fraction. The number 5 divided by two can be written as 5/2 = 2½

Properties of Remainder

  • The remainder is always smaller than the divisor. A reminder that is either longer than or equal to the divisor indicates that the division is incorrect.
  • if one number (divisor) divides the other number (dividend) completely, then the remainder is 0.
  • The remainder can be either greater, lesser, or equal to the quotient.