6th Grade Math Textbook, Progress

Estimate Quotients

3-2

There are 1895 students and teachers in the

district going by bus to the science fair. The

district is renting buses that hold 48 people each.

About how many buses are needed?

To find about how many buses are needed,

estimate: 1895 
48.

One way to estimate the quotient of two numbers

is to use compatible numbers.

Write the nearest compatible whole

numbers for the dividend and the divisor.

Divide.

1895 
 48 2000 
 50  40

about about

2000 50

About 40 buses are needed.

Study these examples.

Two numbers are

compatible numbers

when one number divides

the other evenly.

2000 and 50 are compatible numbers.

They are easy to divide mentally.

To make compatible

numbers, you can change

both the dividend and the

divisor.

To make compatible

numbers, you can

change just the dividend

(or just the divisor).

30

893 
 2  7 ,0 5  6  900 
 2  7 ,0 0  0 

893 
 2  7 ,0 5  6   30

$ 1,000

420 
$ 4  1  5 ,7 8  6  420 
$ 4  2  0 ,0 0  0 

420 
$ 4  1  5 ,7 8  6   $1000

“is approximately equal to”

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