This is an easy way to add, subtract, multiply, or divide. An abacus is one of the first calculators made by the Mesopotamians in 2700 BC. Instructions: Click the balls to move them. How to do addition: ex/ if you want to add 24 to 82 you make 82 out of the balls by clicking 2 balls in the first line, which all the balls equal 1 each ball in the first line. now click 8 balls on the second line, which each ball equaling 10 in the second line. On the top it says 80 and 2, then you put 24 in. keep the balls where they are, but click 4 more balls on the first line. Then click 2 balls on the second line. The first row of numbers on the top means how much of the balls you clicked. if you want to lower the amount, click the amount that you want to lower on the same row you want to lower. The first row will say 6 on the top number, and the second row will say 10. If you want to change the 10 tens to 100 then press the space bar and it will automatically change it to 1 hundred (the hundreds row is the third row). count the bottom row of numbers (100, 0, 6) and add them together to get the answer, which is 106. If you do 82 + 24 in a calculator, you will also get 106. how to subtract: ex/ if you want to subtract 24 from 84 its a sort of a similar process, but it is different in many ways. First you put down 84 (8 balls in the second row and 4 balls in the first row) and then you take away 24. how to do it is you take away the tens in 24 from 84 (two tens) and you take those amount of tens away. you do it the same way for the tens. you count the ones in 24 (four ones) and you take those amount of ones away from 84. the answer you get is 60. if you do the same equation in a calculator, it will also equal 60. how to multiply: if you are multiplying 3x5 for example, you have to do some tricky thinking. think all of the rows are like the first rows, think that all of the equal one each ball. you only need 3 rows for this example. click 5 balls in each 3 rows. then add all the balls you clicked together and you get 15. if you use a calculator you will get 15 if you multiply 5 by 3. how to divide: say you are doing 8/2. click 8 balls on the ones line. then after you do that, every time you click the balls again, every two balls you click, count it as one. if you do that, you will end up with 4, that's the answer. this is great for people who are starting math, increasing their math skills, or just using it for fun.
I got the description of an Abacus from Wikipedia and also I learned about the Abacus on Wikipedia. I learned how to use an Abacus from a video on Youtube.
