# Why is this a mutiplication equation VS a division equation?

Circle C Farm has 1,500 chickens. They separate the chickens into 6 different areas. How many chickens are in each area?

Define a variable and write an equation. Solve the equation.

According to my son's Math book, the equation is a multiplication equation, as follows:

Let x = the number of chickens in each area;

6x = 1500; x = 250

Why is this not a division equation even though it says they " separate the chicken into 6 areas". Doesn’t separating the chicken translate to dividing?

Would greatly appreciate your help in understanding what in the word problem would help my son figure out that he needs to write a multiplication equation.

• Don't get hung up on what they call it. I am assuming they don't call it a division equation since it's not of the form $x/a = b$. Either way what it's called is irrelevant. – lightxbulb Jan 23 '19 at 22:58
• I'd like to see this question rewritten with cats. Can you imagine trying to herd cats into 6 separate areas? Good luck with that. This is one reason I prefer pure maths. – Adam Hrankowski Jan 24 '19 at 6:02

This is more of a semantic question than anything else. It all depends on what you think “multiplication equation” means, and what your son’s math book calls a “multiplication equation.” The term is vague and not really important to the problem. The problem involves multiplication in the sense that $$6x$$ means $$6$$ multiplied by $$x$$, and it involves division in the sense that to solve the problem, one must divide $$1500$$ by $$6$$.
Anyways, most mathematicians get irritated when elementary school teachers treat multiplication and division as different things; after all, dividing by $$6$$ is the same as multiplying by $$1/6$$.