How to Do Division in Java (Integer and Floating Point)

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

There are two types of division in Java—integer division and floating-point division. Both types use the forward slash (/) symbol as the operator, following the format dividend / divisor . [1] Read on to learn how to divide two integers (non-decimal whole numbers) to receive an integer quotient, and how to use floating point division to get a decimal result.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Integer Division

PDF download Download Article
  1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/24\/12966108-1.jpg\/v4-460px-12966108-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/24\/12966108-1.jpg\/v4-728px-12966108-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>Image by: Uploader<br>\nLicense: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
    For example, if you were to divide 7 by 3 on paper, you'd get 2 with a remainder of 1. But when you divide two integers in Java, the remainder will be removed and the answer will just be 2. [2] To use integer division, you'd use this syntax: 
     int 
 a 
 = 
 7 
 ; 
 int 
 b 
 = 
 3 
 ; 
 int 
 result 
 = 
 a 
 / 
 b 
 ; 
 // result will be 2
    • Dividing two integers always results in an integer. If you want to get a decimal result from dividing two integers, use floating point division .
    • If you try to divide an integer by 0 using integer division, you'll get an ArithmeticException error at runtime, even if the program compiles fine. [3]
      • Advertisement
    Method 2
    Method 2 of 2:

    Floating point division

    PDF download Download Article
    1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/3a\/12966108-2.jpg\/v4-460px-12966108-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/3a\/12966108-2.jpg\/v4-728px-12966108-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>Image by: Uploader<br>\nLicense: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
      You can also use float division if you are dividing two numbers and want a decimal result. To use this division type, set the dividend and divisor to a float. [4] With our example of 7 divided by 3, our code would look like this: 
       float 
 a 
 = 
 7.0f 
 ; 
 float 
 b 
 = 
 3.0f 
 ; 
 int 
 result 
 = 
 a 
 / 
 b 
 ; 
 // result will be 2.33
      • When dividing by zero with floating point division, the result will be NaN (Not a Number). [5]

    Community Q&A

    Search
    Add New Question
    • Question
      If 'a' variable is divisible by 2 then print 'a' is even otherwise print odd.
      Jessie
      Community Answer
      Complexified: if (a%2 == 0) { System.out.println("even"); } else { System.out.println("odd"); Ternary Operator: System.out.println((a%2 == 0) ? "even" : "odd"); Explanation: "%" is "Modulus", which returns the remainder after dividing the two numbers. Only even numbers can be divided by two without remainder (0). Ternary: You can put ternary operators (([condition]) ? [statement if true] : [statement if false]) in a println() function but you can't put println() functions in ternary operators
      Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
      Thank you for your feedback.
      If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
      Yes No
      Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
    Ask a Question
    200 characters left
    Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
    Submit
        Advertisement

        Video

        Tips

        • When dividing mixed integer and floating point numbers, the floating point values ( float or double ) are automatically converted to the double type when dividing. [6]
          Thanks
          Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
        Submit a Tip
        All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
        Name
        Please provide your name and last initial
        Submit
        Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
        Advertisement

        You Might Also Like

        A Beginner’s Guide to Compiling & Running Java Programs
        Use Easy Windows CMD Commands to Check Your Java Version
        How to
        Compile and Run Java Programs Using Notepad++
        How to
        Set JAVA_HOME for JDK & JRE: A Step-by-Step Guide
        How to
        Quickly and Easily Check Java Version on a Mac
        How to
        Check Null in Java
        How to
        Add JARs to Project Build Paths in Eclipse (Java)
        Simple Steps to Type a Bunny with Your Keyboard
        How to
        Calculate Percentage in Java
        How to
        Create an Executable File from Eclipse
        How to
        Update Java
        How to
        Call a Method in Java
        How to
        Program in Java
        How to
        Create a JAR File With Eclipse
        Advertisement

        References

        1. ↑ https://codegym.cc/groups/posts/integer-division-java
        2. ↑ https://mathworld.wolfram.com/IntegerDivision.html
        3. ↑ https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/lang/ArithmeticException.html
        4. ↑ https://github.com/processing/processing/wiki/Troubleshooting
        5. ↑ https://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se15/html/jls-15.html#jls-15.17
        6. ↑ https://learn.saylor.org/mod/book/tool/print/index.php?id=26807

        About This Article

        In other languages
        Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 138,820 times.

        Is this article up to date?

        Advertisement