f) When the setting of the dividend and the quotient are correct, the remainder of
the division problem, if any, will appear in the appropriate units, tens, hundreds
columns and so on in the abacus.
II. SHORT DIVISION :
A. Example : 912 ÷ 4
a) Set the divisor 4 in the extreme left of the abacus.
b) Set the dividend 912 in the extreme right of the abacus. The number 9 should
be placed in the hundreds column, 1 in the tens column and 2 in the units
column.
c) Here the divisor 4 is smaller than the first digit of the dividend 9. Hence skip
one column to the immediate left of the dividend and place your quotient.
d) Place your left hand on the divisor 4. Keep your right hand on the 9 of the
dividend 912. Ask : how many 4’s are in 9? By saying 2, skip one column to the
immediate left of the number 9 and set the quotient 2 using your left hand.
Now by saying 2 5 4 = 8, subtract 8 from the number 9. Now you have 1 in the
hundreds column, 1 in the tens column and 2 in the units column.
e) Now take 1 of the 112. Note that the divisor 4 is greater that the first digit of
the dividend 112. Hence, you need not skip a column to the left for setting your
quotient at this stage of division. The quotient at this stage can be placed to
the immediate left of the dividend, which is, the immediate right of the first
quotient 2 and immediate left of 1 of 112.
f) Now ask : how many 4’s in 11? There are 2. Set the quotient to the immediate
right of the other number 2 which has already been set as the first digit of the
quotient. By saying 2 5 4 = 8, subtract it from 11 of the dividend. Place the
number 2 to the immediate left of the dividend which is the immediate right of
the number 2 of the quotient already set. At this stage, we have 32 left in the
dividend. Now ask : how many 4’s are in 32? By saying 8, set that in the
