You know equal groups: 3 plates with 4 on each is 12. Division runs that backward. You start with the 12 and share them fairly.
Why it works
Share the way you deal cards: one for each plate, then another for each plate, and so on. Each round uses 3 strawberries. After 4 rounds all 12 are gone, so each plate has 4. We write $12 \div 3 = 4$. It works because 3 groups of 4 is 12: $3 \times 4 = 12$.
Key idea
$12 \div 3$ can mean: share 12 into 3 equal groups. The answer tells how many are in each group.
Worked example: Share crayons
20 crayons are shared equally among 4 tables. How many does each table get?
- Share 20 into 4 equal groups: $20 \div 4$.
- Deal one round at a time: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20. That is 5 rounds.
- Check: $4 \times 5 = 20$.
Answer: $5$ crayons
Worked example: Read a division
What does $18 \div 6$ mean? Find it.
- Share 18 things into 6 equal groups.
- $6 \times 3 = 18$, so each group gets 3.
Answer: $3$
Common mistake
Shares that are not fair. Division means every group gets the same number. If one plate gets 5 and another gets 3, that is not $12 \div 3$. Check by multiplying: groups times the amount in each must give back the total.