The symbol "÷" represents the mathematical operation of division. Division is the process of splitting a number into equal parts. For example, if you have 12 apples and want to divide them among 4 friends, each friend would receive 3 apples. This operation helps in understanding how many times one number can fit into another. In division, the number being divided is called the dividend, while the number you are dividing by is known as the divisor. The result of the division is called the quotient. Division is one of the four basic arithmetic operations, along with addition, subtraction, and multiplication.