Basic Calculator
Add, subtract, multiply and divide, with brackets, percent and powers. Use the keypad or type on your keyboard, and every calculation is kept in a history list below.
Last updated October 20, 2026
History
Your calculations will appear here.
Result
= 24
How the calculator reads an expression
brackets first, then powers, then × and ÷, then + and −
You type the whole expression and the calculator works it out using the standard order of operations: brackets, then powers, then multiplication and division from left to right, then addition and subtraction. So 12 + 3 × 4 is 24, not 60, and (12 + 3) × 4 is 60.
The percent sign divides the number before it by 100, so 50% is 0.5 and 200 × 10% is 20. It does not work like the percent key on a pocket calculator: 200 + 10% is 200.1, not 220. For “increase by a percent” use 200 × 1.1, or the percentage calculator.
See how we calculate for the formulas, sources and review schedule behind every calculator.
Using brackets
Brackets tell the calculator what to work out first, and they can be nested. In 2 × (3 + (4 − 1)), the inner (4 − 1) is 3, then 3 + 3 = 6, then 2 × 6 = 12. Every opening bracket needs a closing one, and an unmatched bracket gives an error message.
Use brackets when you want addition to happen before multiplication. A price of 80 reduced by 25% is 80 × (1 − 25%) = 80 × 0.75 = 60, and without the brackets the same keys would give a different answer.
Powers and negative numbers
The ^ key raises a number to a power: 2 ^ 10 is 1,024. Powers are done before multiplication and they chain from the right, so 2 ^ 3 ^ 2 means 2 ^ (3 ^ 2) = 2 ^ 9 = 512, not (2 ^ 3) ^ 2 = 64. A negative exponent gives a fraction: 2 ^ −2 is 0.25.
A minus sign in front of a power applies after the power. −2 ^ 2 is −4, because 2 ^ 2 = 4 is worked out first. To square negative 2, write (−2) ^ 2, which is 4.
Working with percent
Each percent sign divides by 100, so a percent of a number is that number times the percentage: 80 × 15% = 80 × 0.15 = 12. To add or take off a percent, multiply by 1 plus or minus the rate, such as 200 × 1.1 for +10% or 200 × (1 − 10%) for −10%.
Typing 200 + 10% does not give 220, because the percent is read as 0.1 on its own and the sum is 200 + 0.1 = 200.1.
How to use the Basic Calculator
- Type an expression with the keypad or your keyboard, for example 12 + 3 × 4.
- Press = or Enter to add it to the history. The answer also shows as you type.
- Tap a history line to reuse its answer, or press C to clear.
Worked example
For 12 + 3 × 4, multiplication comes before addition, so 3 × 4 = 12 first and then 12 + 12 = 24. Adding brackets changes the order: (12 + 3) × 4 = 15 × 4 = 60. A longer expression, (12 + 3) × 4 + 2 ^ 3 ÷ 4, is worked out in this order: brackets give 15, the power gives 8, then 15 × 4 = 60 and 8 ÷ 4 = 2, and finally 60 + 2 = 62.
| Expression | Result |
|---|---|
| 12 + 3 × 4 | 24 |
| (12 + 3) × 4 | 60 |
| 2 ^ 3 ^ 2 | 512 |
| −2 ^ 2 | −4 |
| 200 × 10% | 20 |
| 0.1 + 0.2 | 0.3 |
| 7 ÷ 2 | 3.5 |
Frequently asked questions
Does it follow the order of operations?
Yes. Brackets come first, then powers, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction.
How does the percent key work?
It divides the number before it by 100, so 200 × 10% is 20. It does not add or subtract the percent like a pocket calculator, so 200 + 10% is 200.1. Use 200 × 1.1 to add 10%.
Why does 0.1 + 0.2 show 0.3?
Decimals show 12 significant digits, which removes the tiny binary rounding noise that computers add to decimals. The same rounding makes 1 ÷ 3 show as ≈ 0.333333333333. Whole numbers up to 9,007,199,254,740,991 stay exact. Beyond that a calculator skips some whole numbers, so they show ≈, and so does a calculation that passes through such a number even if the final integer is exact (2 ^ 53 − 1 shows ≈). Very large or small answers use e notation.
Why is −2 ^ 2 equal to −4 and not 4?
The power is worked out before the minus sign is applied, so 2 ^ 2 = 4 and then the sign makes it −4. Write (−2) ^ 2 if you want the square of negative 2, which is 4.
What happens when I divide by zero, and is my history stored?
Dividing by zero shows an error message instead of a result. Everything runs in your browser and the history is cleared when you leave the page, so nothing is stored or uploaded.