The "Show Your Work" Calculator is a versatile tool designed to help users perform basic arithmetic and common mathematical operations, clearly demonstrating each step of the calculation. This is invaluable for students learning mathematics, educators verifying solutions, or anyone who needs to confirm the accuracy of their computations.
How It Works
This calculator takes two numerical inputs and an operation to perform. Based on the selected operation, it computes the result and displays it. The primary goal is to provide a quick and reliable way to get the answer, with the underlying logic being straightforward arithmetic.
Operations Supported
Addition (+): Combines two numbers to find their sum.
Subtraction (-): Finds the difference between two numbers.
Multiplication (*): Calculates the product of two numbers.
Division (/): Divides the first number by the second to find the quotient. Special attention is given to division by zero.
Power (^): Raises the first number to the power of the second number (e.g., 2^3 = 8).
Modulus (%): Finds the remainder after division of the first number by the second.
Mathematical Basis
The calculator directly implements the fundamental rules of arithmetic:
Addition: \(a + b\)
Subtraction: \(a – b\)
Multiplication: \(a \times b\)
Division: \(a \div b\) (where \(b \neq 0\))
Power: \(a^b\)
Modulus: \(a \pmod{b}\)
For division, if the second number is zero, the calculator will indicate an error, as division by zero is mathematically undefined.
Use Cases
Students: Verifying homework answers for arithmetic, algebra, and early calculus problems.
Educators: Quickly checking student work or generating example problems.
Programmers: Testing simple numerical logic or debugging code snippets.
Everyday Users: Performing quick calculations where accuracy and clarity are important.
Example Calculation
Let's say you want to calculate 15 raised to the power of 3.
First Value: 15
Second Value: 3
Operation: Power
The calculator performs \(15^3\), which is \(15 \times 15 \times 15 = 3375\). The result displayed would be 3375.
Another example: Calculating the remainder when 23 is divided by 5.
First Value: 23
Second Value: 5
Operation: Modulus
The calculator performs \(23 \pmod{5}\). Since \(23 = 4 \times 5 + 3\), the remainder is 3. The result displayed would be 3.
function calculate() {
var firstNumberInput = document.getElementById("firstNumber");
var secondNumberInput = document.getElementById("secondNumber");
var operationSelect = document.getElementById("operation");
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
var num1 = parseFloat(firstNumberInput.value);
var num2 = parseFloat(secondNumberInput.value);
var operation = operationSelect.value;
var result = "";
if (isNaN(num1) || isNaN(num2)) {
result = "Please enter valid numbers for both values.";
} else {
switch (operation) {
case "add":
result = num1 + num2;
break;
case "subtract":
result = num1 – num2;
break;
case "multiply":
result = num1 * num2;
break;
case "divide":
if (num2 === 0) {
result = "Error: Division by zero is not allowed.";
} else {
result = num1 / num2;
}
break;
case "power":
result = Math.pow(num1, num2);
break;
case "modulus":
if (num2 === 0) {
result = "Error: Modulus by zero is not allowed.";
} else {
result = num1 % num2;
}
break;
default:
result = "Invalid operation selected.";
}
}
// Format result to avoid excessive decimal places if it's a whole number
if (typeof result === 'number' && Number.isInteger(result)) {
resultDiv.textContent = result;
} else if (typeof result === 'number') {
resultDiv.textContent = result.toFixed(4); // Adjust precision as needed
}
else {
resultDiv.textContent = result;
}
}