The Google Calculator

Google follows in the footsteps of AlltheWeb and turns its search form into a calculator.

Earlier this year AlltheWeb added the option of using the search engine search form as a calculator to its many features (see Pandia article). Someone in Google took notice, because now you may also use Google for doing your math.

On the Google help pages Google says that in order to use Google's built-in calculator function, you enter the expression you'd like evaluated in the search box and hit the Enter key or click the Google Search button.

"The calculator can evaluate mathematical expressions involving basic arithmetic (5+2*2 or 2^20), more complicated math (sine(30 degrees) or e^(i pi)+1), units of measure and conversions (100 miles in kilometers or 160 pounds * 4000 feet in Calories), and physical constants (1 a.u./c or G*mass of earth/radius of earth^2)."

Google encourages users to experiment with other numbering systems, including hexadecimal and binary.

Unfortunately, that's all it says. We have not found any detailed introduction to how to use the feature, which would have been very helpful indeed.

However, GoogleGuy (Google's representative at Webmaster World) adds that you may use the calculator to crunch Roman numerals (VII * X), convert a large number of units (ounces in a cup), parse English expressions (fifteenth root of 32768, or seventy four times 28), make a go at planck's constant (* 5, or 12!), the speed of light in centimeters/second, seconds in a day * 7 etc.

The results are presented on a special result page. If you for some reason actually were looking for Web pages containing the expression "5*5", Google gives you the option of doing a regular search.

Source: Resourceshelf

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