Question

Identify operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) in forming the following expression and tell how the expression has been formed: $\dfrac{P}{5}$

Answer 1

Hint:
Before finding out about the given expression, you need to know what addition, subtraction, multiplication and division look like. The addition between two numbers ‘a’ and ‘b’ will be represented as $a + b$ . Subtraction between two numbers will be given as $a - b$ whereas multiplication is written as $a \times b{\text{ or }}a \cdot b{\text{ or }}ab$ and division between two numbers can be represented as $a \div b{\text{ or }}\dfrac{a}{b}$ . Now use this information to find the operation used in the given expression.

Complete step by step solution:
Here in this problem, we need to determine which of the operations among addition, subtraction, multiplication and division is used to form the expression $\dfrac{P}{5}$ .
Before being able to determine the operation from the expression we need to understand what these operations are.
The addition is an operation represented by a plus $' + '$ symbol. It is used between two values to add or sum their values. It can be seen in form $a + b$ , where $'a'{\text{ and }}'b'$ can be any number. It represents a number that can be obtained after moving $'b'$ units from $'a'$ on a number line. For example, $5 + 4$ this represents a number that is obtained from moving four places forward to right from five on the number line, i.e. $5 + 4 = 9$
Subtraction is opposite of addition as here we decrease the value instead of increasing. Subtraction is an operation represented by a minus $' - '$ symbol. It is used between two values to subtract or reduce the value of one by second. It can be seen in form $a - b$ , where $'a'{\text{ and }}'b'$ can be any number. It represents a number that can be obtained after moving $'b'$ units back from $'a'$ on a number line. For example, $5 - 4$ this represents a number that is obtained from moving four places backwards to left from five on the number line, i.e. $5 - 4 = 1$
Multiplication is an operation represented by a cross $' \times '$ or dot $'.'$ and represents how many times a number is added to itself. It can be seen in form $a \times b$ , where $'a'{\text{ and }}'b'$ can be any number and it symbolizes adding $'a'$ to itself $'b'$ times or $'b'$ to itself $'a'$
The division is an operation represented by the symbol $' \div '$ or can be represented as a fraction. It can be in writing in a form $a \div b{\text{ or }}\dfrac{a}{b}$ , where both means the same and symbolizes to represent the one part if $'a'$ is divided into $'b'$ equal parts.
Here in this question, we have the expression $\dfrac{P}{5}$ , which represents one part of the five equal parts in which $'P'$ is divided.

Hence, the operation used here is division.

Note:
The given expression $\dfrac{P}{5}$ can also be represented by $P \div 5$. For a better understanding of this concept, we can take a few more examples: $m - 3$ and $5m$ are two expressions between a variable and a number. $m - 3$ represents the operation of subtraction of number three from another quantity. Similarly, $5m$ represents the operation of multiplication between a number five and variable.