How does a calculator work?

Basically, with lots of circuits. Using various gates (AND, OR, XOR), it's actually not all that difficult to make a simple binary addition circuit. And complex mathematical equations can usually be simplified into ultimately being nothing more than A LOT of addition and subtraction. The numbers you put in are translated into binary, then fed through the proper circuits, determined by the symbols (+, -, etc.) you use. The result is translated back into decimal, and displayed on the screen.

When you add two numbers, you execute a finite list of elementary acts (like summig each digit in the same column and taking back in the next column the exceeding part, etc). Such simple acts and many others can be programmed in a specific language that the calculator can handle, and this is the way a calculator work, using then materially some "switch" electronical engines to translate imputs and programming in an electric flow which finally activates some liquid christal or printer to give you the result. It seems very complicated, and really it is... astonishing "compression" of humand abilities in a chip! Hope this is what you wanted to know. Ciao

Let's break your question down into two parts: 1. What sort of mathematics does your calculator do when you try to do calculations? 2. How does the calculator actually do those mathematical calculations? The first question is answered in this previous Mad Scientist Answer: Re: Can you tell me how a calculator calculates? This first part explains Binary Numbers and Binary Arithmetic. If you'd like more detail, here is a webpage I put up on this: BINARY NUMBERS AND ARITHMETIC For the second question, here is a webpage I put up, from a class I developed, that explains how the calculator uses logic circuits, called gates, to add numbers: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/4284/logiccircuits/logiccircuits.html It shows how a half adder is made from more basic gates, an AND gate and an EXCLUSIVE OR gate. I have a page that moves up from there and shows how the half adder is used to make a microprocessor (basically, what is inside a calculator..although there are also other uses for a microprocessor): http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/4284/simplecomputer/simplecomputer.html Here is a photograph of a microprocessor: Here is a previous Mad Scientist answer that shows how some logic gates are made from MOS transistors (sorry that one of the images is missing): 909439032.Cs. ...and here is another Mad Scientist's previous answer that shows how a MOS transistor works: 859495932.Eg

Either with batteries or solar

you press buttons and then it gives you answers ;]

I dont know how it exactly works, but i do know that somehow it cancels all the wrong answers and leaves only the right one..its confusing..

well its powered by batteries usually and you press the buttons and it magically figures out the answer

it's magical

calculating process it is a very simple calculator in one thin plate and all button in underface in magnatic process.