Length tells us how long something is. We can divide length into equal parts.

Steps to divide length:

1. Identify the total length to be divided.
2. Decide into how many equal parts to divide it.
3. Divide the number by the number of parts.
4. Write the answer with the unit of measurement.

Example: A piece of cloth is 12 metres long. Mwanajuma wants to cut it into 3 equal pieces. How long will each piece be?

$12 \div 3 = 4$

Each piece will be 4 metres long.

Mass tells us how heavy something is. We can divide mass into equal parts.

Steps to divide mass:

1. Identify the total mass to be divided.
2. Know how many equal parts to make.
3. Divide the mass by the number of parts.
4. Write the answer with the unit (kilogram or gram).

Example: A sack of maize flour has a mass of 24 kg. A shopkeeper wants to put the flour into 4 equal bags. How much flour goes into each bag?

$24 \div 4 = 6$

Each bag will have 6 kg of maize flour.

Volume tells us how much space a liquid or substance takes. We can divide volume into equal parts.

Steps to divide volume:

1. Identify the total volume to be divided.
2. Know how many equal containers to fill.
3. Divide the volume by the number of containers.
4. Write the answer with the unit (litre or millilitre).

Example: A jerrycan contains 20 litres of water. The water is poured equally into 5 buckets. How much water is in each bucket?

$20 \div 5 = 4$

Each bucket contains 4 litres of water.

When dividing measurements:

• Always keep the unit with your answer.
• Check your division using multiplication.
• Make sure the parts are equal.

1. A road is 18 km long. It is divided into 3 equal parts. How long is each part?
2. A trader has 30 kg of beans. She puts them into 5 equal bags. What is the mass of each bag?
3. A tank holds 25 litres of water. The water is poured into 5 equal containers. How much water is in each container?

In Tanzania, market traders often divide goods like rice, maize, or beans by mass to sell equal portions to different customers. For example, a mama mboga who buys 15 kg of tomatoes from the wholesale market may divide them into 3 equal piles of 5 kg each to sell to three different customers at the same price. This helps ensure fair sharing and accurate sales.