How to Divide by 5 in Your Head

Updated 4 October 2026

Divide by 5 by doubling, then dropping a zero.

130 ÷ 5 = 26

How do you divide by 5 in your head?

To divide by 5, double the number and drop a zero. For 130 ÷ 5, double first: 130 × 2 = 260, then 260 ÷ 10 = 26. It works because 5 is half of 10, so a number holds twice as many 5s as it holds 10s. Doubling is easier than dividing because it never leaves a remainder to carry from one digit to the next. Bigger numbers take the same two steps: 3480 ÷ 5 doubles to 6960, so the answer is 696. When the number does not end in 0 or 5, its double does not end in 0, and the last digit becomes a decimal: 87 ÷ 5 doubles to 174, so the answer is 17.4. If you want a remainder instead, split off the largest multiple of 5: 87 is 85 + 2, so 87 ÷ 5 is 17 remainder 2. Check by multiplying back: 17.4 × 5 = 87.

1. 5 is half of 10, so dividing by 5 is doubling, then dividing by 10.

2. Double: 130 × 2 = 260. Then a place-value shift: 260 ÷ 10 = 26.

What if the number does not end in 0 or 5?

The method still works, and the answer has a decimal. For 123 ÷ 5, double to 246, then drop a zero: 24.6. Check: 24.6 × 5 = 123. If you want a remainder instead, 123 is 120 + 3, so the answer is 24 remainder 3.

How do you divide bigger numbers by 5?

Doubling keeps every step easy however long the number is. For 2345 ÷ 5, double is 4690, so the answer is 469. For 1020 ÷ 5, double is 2040, so 204. Dividing by 50 is the same trick with two zeros: 850 ÷ 50 is 1700 ÷ 100 = 17.

All 36 shortcuts: the Magic Tricks library.