A long division calculator that shows the written working
This long division calculator does more than give the answer: it lays out the full written working exactly as it appears in a school exercise book — the divisor and bracket, the quotient above the line, every multiply-and-subtract row and every “bring down” — and explains each step in words. Use it to check homework, to see where a calculation went wrong, or to teach the method one step at a time with the Next and Previous buttons.
It handles whole numbers with remainders (1234 ÷ 7 = 176 r 2), decimals, decimal divisors, and repeating decimals, which it detects and marks with a bar (1 ÷ 7 = 0.142857 with the bar over all six digits). A Polynomials mode divides one polynomial by another with exact fractions, and the Worksheet mode prints practice sheets with an answer key. Everything runs in your browser.
How to use the Long Division Calculator
- Choose Numbers, enter the dividend (the number being divided) and the divisor.
- Pick how you want the answer: quotient and remainder, a decimal that stops when it starts repeating, or a decimal to a set number of places.
- Read the written working and the numbered explanation, or press the arrow buttons to reveal it one step at a time; Show all returns to the full layout.
- For algebra, choose Polynomials and type the coefficients of each polynomial, highest power first (x² − 5x + 6 is 1, −5, 6).
- For practice, choose Worksheet, set the number of problems and digits, then print or download the PDF — the last page is the answer key.
Long Division Calculator features
Textbook layout
The bracket, the line over the dividend, subtraction lines and brought-down numbers line up in columns, as taught in schools in India, the UK and the US.
Repeating decimals
The calculator watches the remainders; when one comes back, it marks the repeating block with a bar and says why.
Decimal divisors
Dividing by 0.25 or 1.5? It multiplies both numbers by a power of ten first and tells you so.
Step-by-step reveal
Go forward and back through the steps; the working and the explanation reveal together.
Polynomial long division
Exact fraction arithmetic gives the quotient and remainder of any polynomial division up to degree 15.
Worksheet generator
Seeded random problems with or without remainders, A4 or Letter, printed or as a vector PDF, plus an answer key.
How long division works: divide, multiply, subtract, bring down
Long division repeats four moves. Take 1234 ÷ 7. Seven does not go into 1, so look at 12: 7 goes into 12 once; write 1 above the 2. Multiply 1 × 7 = 7 and subtract: 12 − 7 = 5. Bring down the next digit, 3, to make 53. Seven goes into 53 seven times (49), leaving 4; bring down the 4 to make 44. Seven goes into 44 six times (42), leaving 2. No digits are left, so 1234 ÷ 7 = 176 remainder 2.
Check the answer by reversing it: quotient × divisor + remainder = dividend, so 176 × 7 + 2 = 1234. The remainder must always be smaller than the divisor; if it is not, the quotient digit was too small.
Decimals and repeating decimals
To continue past the remainder, put a decimal point after the dividend and bring down zeros. 1 ÷ 7 gives remainders 3, 2, 6, 4, 5 and then 1 again — the remainder we started with — so the digits 142857 repeat forever: 1/7 = 0.142857142857… A fraction in lowest terms gives a terminating decimal only when its denominator has no prime factors other than 2 and 5 (1/8 = 0.125); every other denominator gives a repeating decimal, whose block is at most one digit shorter than the divisor.
| Division | Decimal | Repeating block |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ÷ 3 | 0.333… | 3 |
| 1 ÷ 6 | 0.1666… | 6 (after a 1) |
| 1 ÷ 7 | 0.142857… | 142857 |
| 1 ÷ 11 | 0.0909… | 09 |
| 5 ÷ 12 | 0.41666… | 6 |
| 1 ÷ 8 | 0.125 | none — it terminates |
Polynomial long division
Polynomials divide the same way, term by term. For (x² − 5x + 6) ÷ (x − 2): x² ÷ x = x; multiply x(x − 2) = x² − 2x and subtract to get −3x + 6; then −3x ÷ x = −3; multiply −3(x − 2) = −3x + 6 and subtract to get 0. So the quotient is x − 3 with no remainder, which means x − 2 is a factor. For simple fraction practice, see the fraction visualizer; to factor a number before dividing, try the LCM and GCD calculator.
Long Division Calculator FAQ
How do I do long division with remainders?
Divide, multiply, subtract and bring down until no digits are left; what remains is the remainder. Enter the numbers above with “Quotient and remainder” to see each step laid out.
How does the long division calculator find repeating decimals?
It records every remainder after the decimal point. When a remainder repeats, the digits produced since its first appearance will repeat forever, so it marks them with a bar.
How do I divide by a decimal?
Multiply the divisor and the dividend by the same power of ten until the divisor is a whole number — 12.5 ÷ 0.25 becomes 1250 ÷ 25 — then divide as usual. The calculator does this and tells you.
What is the difference between the quotient and the remainder?
The quotient is how many whole times the divisor fits into the dividend; the remainder is what is left over and is always smaller than the divisor.
Can it divide polynomials?
Yes. Choose Polynomials and enter the coefficients, highest power first, with 0 for missing powers. Fractions and decimals are allowed and kept exact.
Can I print long division worksheets?
Yes. The Worksheet mode makes 4–40 problems with 2–5 digit dividends and 1–2 digit divisors, with or without remainders, plus an answer key page. The same seed always reproduces the same sheet.