![]() ![]() ![]() When you exhaust the multiplicand the calculation is done. Repeat the multiplication, adding beads in each column and carrying over the remainders. Continue this process until the multiplier is exhausted.ĭropping the first digit of the multiplier there are now only 6 digits, this means we will start on 6th column over for the next multiplicand. Continue over and take 2 x 6 which is 12, this makes our 6th row +1 bead and our 5th row +2 beads. Our first calculation is 5 x 6 which we know is 30, this makes our 7th column (red) at +3 and the 6th column (yellow) left at +0. Now we take our top row and multiply it by our first multiplicand (5286 x 6). Reading right to left that puts us at the red column, this is where we'll start. ![]() This means we'll need 7 columns of beads to compute our answer. The trick here is to count the digits in the equation, in this example there is 7 digits. multiplication vocabulary: multiplicand : the number to be multiplied multiplier : the number to be multiplied by (In multiplication these terms are generally interchangeable) product: result of the multiplication Here's where the abacus comes into it's own. Word on the street is there are techniques to solve for square and even cube root using the abacus! (this instructable also covers elementary arithmetic, jump to step 7 to see.) The simplicity of this 'computer' belies the complexity of computations achievable. If you're in the mood to nerd it up, check out some of the other types of abaci used over the years. This abacus is modeled after the suanpan. The main difference between the two is the Japanese abacus has one row of beads on the top deck where the Chinese has two rows, allowing the suanpan to compute to hexadecimal. Though many cultures have used the abacus throughout the years, the two most common types that exist today are the Japanese abacus (called soroban) and the Chinese abacus (called suanpan). Yet in some places, the abacus is still used as a learning tool for elementary school students and as a method of calculation for traders. Today, much of the world now embraces new technology and the once mighty abacus has been replaced with solar-powered calculators and excel spreadsheets. Almost any sliding tool used to record calculations can be called an abacus, and over the years there has been many iterations and adaptations of this classic calculator.įor centuries the abacus ruled as the calculator for traders and merchants the world over. The abacus is a calculation tool that works by sliding beads along columns to represent numbers and to compute arithmetic. ![]()
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