Math Calculator
Type a whole math problem on one line and get the answer, worked out with the standard order of operations. Use the example chips to try a problem, and click the history tape to bring an earlier expression or result back into the line.
Last updated November 4, 2026
Try an example
History tape
Press Calculate and your last results appear here. They are kept only until you leave the page.
Result
= 20
Show the work
Formula: Brackets, then exponents, then × and ÷ from left to right, then + and − from left to right.
- Expression as entered: (2 + 3) * 4
- Work out anything in brackets first, then powers (right to left, so 2^3^2 is 2^(3^2)).
- Then multiplication and division from left to right, then addition and subtraction from left to right.
Result: (2 + 3) * 4 = 20
Order of operations (PEMDAS)
parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction
The calculator follows PEMDAS. Parentheses come first, then exponents, then multiplication and division from left to right, and finally addition and subtraction from left to right. That is why 2 + 3 * 4 is 14 and not 20: the multiplication happens before the addition. Add parentheses and (2 + 3) * 4 is 20.
Operations of the same rank are done from left to right, so 100 / 10 / 5 is 2 and 10 − 4 − 3 is 3. Exponents are the exception: they chain from the right, so 2 ^ 3 ^ 2 means 2 ^ (3 ^ 2) = 512, not (2 ^ 3) ^ 2 = 64.
A minus sign in front of a power applies after the power, so −2 ^ 2 is −4. If you mean the square of negative 2, write (−2) ^ 2, which is 4.
See how we calculate for the formulas, sources and review schedule behind every calculator.
What you can type
Numbers can be whole or decimal, such as 12, 3.5 or .5. Operators are + and − for adding and subtracting, * or × for multiplying, / or ÷ for dividing, ^ for powers, ! for factorial and % for percent. Parentheses can be nested, and spaces are ignored.
A few functions are also available, always written with brackets: sqrt(144) is 12, cbrt(27) is 3 and abs(−5) is 5. The log(1000) function is the base 10 logarithm and ln(e) is the natural logarithm. The constants pi and e work too, and the trig functions here use radians. If you need degrees, use the scientific calculator, which has a DEG and RAD switch.
This page does not plot graphs, solve for x or work with variables. Multiplication must be written out: 2(3) is an error, so type 2 * (3).
Percent of a number
The percent sign divides the number before it by 100. To find 15% of 80, type 80 * 15%, which is 80 × 0.15 = 12. To add 10% to 200, multiply by 1.1 instead: 200 * 1.1 is 220. Typing 200 + 10% gives 200.1, because the percent is read as 0.1 on its own.
History tape
Each time you press Calculate or Enter, the problem and its answer are added to the tape, which keeps the last eight. Click an expression to put it back in the line and edit it, or click an answer to add that number to the end of the current line. The tape lives only in the page while it is open: it is not saved, uploaded or shared, and Clear tape empties it at any time.
Errors
Dividing by zero, an unmatched parenthesis, an operator with nothing after it (2 +), two operators in a row (2 + + 3), two numbers with no operator (2 3), and unknown words are reported with a plain message instead of an answer. Factorial needs a whole number from 0 to 170, and a square root of a negative number is an error. A negative number raised to a fractional power, such as (-8)^(1/3), is also an error; use cbrt(-8) instead. Whole numbers up to 9,007,199,254,740,991 are exact. Beyond that results show ≈, as do calculations that pass through such a number, even when the final integer is exact (2^53 − 1 shows ≈). Decimals show 12 significant digits, with ≈ when rounded, and large or small answers use e notation.
How to use the Math Calculator
- Type your whole problem on the line, or tap an example chip such as (2+3)*4.
- Check the live answer, and press Calculate or Enter to add it to the history tape.
- Click a tape entry to reuse its expression or its answer.
- Open Show the work to see the expression and the order it was solved in, then copy, print or share.
Worked example
Take 2 + 3 * 4 ^ 2 / 8 − 1. The exponent comes first: 4 ^ 2 = 16. Then multiplication and division from the left: 3 * 16 = 48, and 48 / 8 = 6. Finally addition and subtraction from the left: 2 + 6 = 8, and 8 − 1 = 7. Moving parentheses changes the answer, as the table shows.
| Expression | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 + 3 * 4 | 14 |
| (2 + 3) * 4 | 20 |
| 2 + 3 * 4 ^ 2 / 8 - 1 | 7 |
| 2 ^ 10 | 1024 |
| 2 ^ 3 ^ 2 | 512 |
| -2 ^ 2 | -4 |
| 80 * 15% | 12 |
| sqrt(144) | 12 |
| 0.1 + 0.2 | 0.3 |
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from the basic calculator?
This page is built around typing a whole problem on one line, with example chips, a clickable history tape and a note on the order of operations. The basic calculator is a keypad.
What does PEMDAS mean?
It is the order of operations: parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction, with equal ranks done from left to right.
Why is -2 ^ 2 equal to -4?
The power is worked out before the minus sign applies, so 2 ^ 2 is 4 and the result is −4. Write (−2) ^ 2 to get 4.
Is my history saved?
No. The tape is held only in memory while the page is open, nothing is uploaded, and it disappears when you reload or leave.
Can it solve equations or draw graphs?
No. It evaluates one numeric expression at a time and does not solve for variables, plot graphs or do symbolic algebra.