Calculator Symbol Meanings

Common Calculator Symbols:

Basic Arithmetic Symbols:

+ - Addition (plus)
- - Subtraction (minus)
× or * - Multiplication
÷ or / - Division
= - Equals

Advanced Mathematical Symbols:

√ - Square root
^ - Exponentiation (power)
% - Percentage
! - Factorial
π - Pi (3.14159...)

Comparison Symbols:

> - Greater than
< - Less than
≥ - Greater than or equal to
≤ - Less than or equal to
≠ - Not equal to

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1. Basic Arithmetic Symbols

These are the fundamental symbols used in all calculator operations:

+ (Addition): Combines two numbers to make a larger number (e.g., 2 + 3 = 5)
- (Subtraction): Finds the difference between numbers (e.g., 5 - 2 = 3)
× or * (Multiplication): Repeated addition (e.g., 3 × 4 = 12)
÷ or / (Division): Splitting into equal parts (e.g., 12 ÷ 3 = 4)
= (Equals): Shows the result of an operation

2. Advanced Mathematical Symbols

Symbols used for more complex calculations:

√ (Square Root): Finds a number that when multiplied by itself gives the original value (√9 = 3)
^ (Exponentiation): Raises a number to a power (2^3 = 8)
% (Percentage): Represents a fraction of 100 (25% = 0.25)
! (Factorial): Product of all positive integers up to that number (4! = 24)

3. Comparison Symbols

Symbols used to compare values:

> (Greater Than): Indicates the left value is larger (5 > 3)
< (Less Than): Indicates the left value is smaller (3 < 5)
≥ (Greater Than or Equal): Left value is larger or equal (x ≥ 5)
≤ (Less Than or Equal): Left value is smaller or equal (x ≤ 5)
≠ (Not Equal): Values are different (3 ≠ 5)

4. Special Mathematical Constants

Details: Important constants used in calculations

π (Pi): Ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter (≈3.14159)
e: Base of natural logarithm (≈2.71828)
φ (Golden Ratio): (1+√5)/2 ≈ 1.61803

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why are there different symbols for multiplication and division?
A: × is traditional multiplication, while * is used in programming. Similarly, ÷ is traditional division while / is used in digital formats.

Q2: What's the difference between = and ≈?
A: = means exactly equal, while ≈ means approximately equal.

Q3: What does ± mean?
A: It means "plus or minus" and indicates two possible values (e.g., 5 ± 2 means 3 or 7).

Q4: What does Σ represent?
A: It's the summation symbol, meaning to add a series of numbers.

Q5: What's the meaning of ∞ in calculators?
A: It represents infinity, a concept of something without limit.