With the ten key printing calculator, this is how you have to input the numbers to get the answer. Think of it this way: the 6 is added to the total (starting from 0), the 5 is added to the total, the 9 is subtracted from the total, and the 8 is subtracted from the total. Shouldn't the + that I highlighted in red actually be a minus?Īctually, no. But you can't tell the machine to do these things with a number until you've entered the number itself! ***Ī recent email about adding and subtracting on a ten key calculatorġ. So if you want to subract something, you have to enter it as a negative number or, if it's easier to remember, think of it as telling the machine you want to add into the total the number 6 you just entered, you want to add in the 5, take away or subtract the 9, and take away or subtract the 8. The thing to remember here is that the calculator is going to ADD everything you input with the keys. See your total there on the screen now? I hope it shows -6 or 6.- depending how your calculator shows negative numbers. Wow, that was easy, agreed? So, now let's change things up a bit. If you had hit the clear button before you pressed the *, your calculator wouldn't have printed the total or concluded the calculation.Īdding and subtracting numbers on the ten-key Nothing happened, did it? That's all right. See your total there on the screen now? I hope it shows 28. Now, do I have to tell you to turn on your calculator? ( Please don't make me. I'll include the email and my response below my tutorial to help make my point clear. I recently answered an email where someone asked me if I had it wrong below. This is not as intuitive as you might think. However, I'll explain all that in a few moments. The item count is a neat feature that can also stupify if you haven't had much experience with a ten-key-or if you just didn't bother to read the instructions that came with your calculator.

If it's of decent quality, it will even tell you how many numbers!

Positive numbers, negative numbers, all kinds of numbers. The easiest way to think of a ten-key calculator is as an adding machine (many of which print this nice little tape for you as proof that you did indeed add that staggering column of numbers correctly). Equals (=) Is Not the Way to Go Use the total key (* or T) to sum your numbers

Best 10 key calculator