How to Use an Abacus

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Four Parts:Counting and Basics Adding and Subtracting Multiplying Dividing
The abacus is a deceptively simple calculating tool still used all over the
world. It's a useful learning device for the visually impaired, as well as for
anyone who wants to learn the roots of the modern calculator. Read
these simple steps and get calculating.
Part 1 of 4: Counting and Basics
1.
1
Orient the abacus correctly. A basic abacus consists of two rows of beads
arranged in a variable number of columns. Each column in the top row should
have one or two beads per row, while each column in the bottom row should
have four. When you start, all of the beads should be up in the top row, and
down in the bottom row. The beads in the top row represent the number value
5 and each bead in the bottom row represents the number value 1.
Once you become more familiar with the function of the abacus,
you can assign diferent values to the beads in the bottom row to perform
more complex operations. The beads in the top row, however, need to be 5
times the value of each bead in the bottom row for the abacus method to work.
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2.
2
Assign each column a place value. As on a modern calculator, each column
of beads represents a "place" value from which you build a numeral. So, the
farthest column on the right would be the "ones" place (1-9), the second
farthest the "tens" place (10-99), the third farthest the hundreds (100-999),
and so on.
Depending on your calculation, you can also assign a decimal
place that you'll need to keep track of. If you want to enter the number
12,345.67, the 7 would be in the frst column, the 6 in the second, the 5 in the
third, and so on. When doing those calculations, you just have to remember
where the decimal place is, mark it on the abacus with a pencil, or you can
skip a row and leave it "blank" if that helps you remember.
3.
3
Start counting. To count a digit, push one bead to the "up" position. "One"
would be represented by pushing a single bead from the bottom row in the
farthest column on the right to the "up" position, "two" by pushing two, etc.
4.
4
Complete the "4/5 exchange."
[1]
Since there are only four beads on the
bottom row, to go from "four" to "fve," you push the bead on the top row to the
"down" position and push all four beads from the bottom row down. The
abacus at this position is correctly read "fve." To count "six," push one bead
from the bottom row up, so the bead in the top row is down (representing a
value of 5) and one bead from the bottom row is up.
The process is essentially the same across the abacus. Go from
"nine," in which all the beads in the ones place are pushed up and the bead in
the top row is pushed down, to "ten," in which a single bead from the bottom
row of the tens place is pushed up.
So, to illustrate: 12345 would be represented with the top bead
down in the ones place, four beads from the bottom row of the tens place
pushed up, three beads up in the bottom row of the hundreds place, two
beads up in the bottom row of the thousands, and a single bead from the
bottom row of the ten-thousand place.
It's easy to forget to push the beads in the bottom row down when
exchanging a place, making the board will show the wrong value. It's easy
enough to keep track of when you're counting, but when you get into
complicated arithmetic it becomes more difcult.
Part 2 of 4: Adding and Subtracting
1.
1
Input your frst number. Say you've got to add 1234 and 5678. Enter 1234
on the abacus by pushing up four beads in the ones place, three in the tens,
etc.
2.
2
Start adding from the left. Unlike traditional arithmetic, in which you'd start
from the ones column and move left, the abacus works from left to right. So,
the frst numbers you'll add are the 1 and the 5 from the thousands place, in
this case moving the single bead from the top row of that column down to add
the 5, and leaving the lower bead up for a total of 6. Likewise, you'll move the
top bead in the hundreds place down and one more bead from the bottom up
to get an 8 in the hundreds place.
3.
3
Complete an exchange. Here's where things get creative. Since adding the
two numbers in the tens place will result in 10, you'll carry over a 1 to the
hundred place, making it a 9 in that column. Next, put all the beads down in
the tens place, leaving it zero.
In the ones column, you'll do essentially the same thing. 8 + 4 =
12, so you'll carry the one over to the tens place, making it 1, leaving you with
2 in the ones place.
2.
4
Count up your beads. You're left with a 6 in the thousands column, a 9 in the
hundreds, a 1 in the tens, and a 2 in the ones: 1,234 + 5,678 = 6,912.
3.
5
To subtract, do essentially the exact same process in reverse. Borrow
digits from the previous column instead of carrying them over. Say you're
subtracting 867 from 932. After entering 932 into the abacus (the upper bead
in the up position and all four lower beads up in the hundreds column, three
lower beads up in the tens column, and two lower beads up in the ones
column), start subtracting column-by-column starting on your left.
8 from 9 is one, so you'll leave a single bead up in the hundreds
place. In the tens place, you can't subtract 6 from 3, so you'll borrow the 1 in
the hundreds place (leaving it zero) and subtract 6 from 13, making it 7 in the
tens place (the upper bead up and two lower beads). Do the same thing in the
ones place, "borrowing" a bead from the tens place (making it 6) to subtract 7
from 12 instead of 2. There should be a 5 in the ones column: 932 - 867 = 65.
Part 3 of 4: Multiplying
1.
1
Transpose the problem onto the abacus.
[2]
Unlike adding, it helps to start at
the farthest left column of the abacus when multiplying. Say you're multiplying
34 and 12. You need to assign columns to "3" "4" "X" "1" "2" "=" and leave the
rest of the columns to the right of them blank for your product. For this
problem, you'll need at least three.
The "X" and the "=" should just be spaces that you leave blank, to
keep your numbers separate, so it will take a total of six columns to enter "34 x
12 =" into the abacus.
The abacus should have 3 beads up in the farthest column left,
four up in the next farthest, a blank column, one bead up, two beads up,
another blank column, and at least three columns open to record the product.
2.
2
Multiply by alternating columns. The order here is critical. You need to
multiply the frst column by the frst column after the break, then the frst
column by the second column after the break. Next, you'll multiply the second
column before the break by the second column after the break. It should
always be done in this order.
3.
3
Record the products in the correct order. First, you'll multiply 3 and 1,
recording their product in the frst answer column, which in this case will be
the seventh column from the left, accounting for each digit and each
necessary blank column. Push three beads up in that seventh column. Next,
multiply the 3 and the 2, recording their product in the eighth column. Push up
the upper bead and one lower bead in that column.
Here's where it gets tricky. When you multiply the 4 and the 1,
you'll need to add that product to the eighth column, the second of the answer
columns. The product of 4 and 1 is 4, and since you're adding a 4 to a 6 in that
column, you'll need to carry one bead over to the frst answer column, making
it a 4 in the seventh column and a zero in the eighth.
Multiply the last two digits in the problem, 4 and 2, and record that
product in the ninth column, putting an 8 in the last of the answer columns,
which should now read 4, blank, and 8, making your answer 408.
Part 4 of 4: Dividing
1.
1
To divide, leave space for the answer between the divisor and the
dividend.
[3]
Division is a more fuid process than multiplication, and it works
best when you don't leave blank spaces between the numbers involved.The
left-most column on the abacus will be the divisor, the number being divided
by. The next spaces to the right should be left for the answer.
Say you're dividing 34 by 2. You know the answer will be at least
two columns, so leave two columns between 2 on the right and the 3 and the
4.
To summarize, to enter 34 divided by 2 on the abacus, you should
have 2 in the left most column, two columns to record the answer, the 3 in the
fourth column, and the 4 in the ffth.
2.
2
Record the quotient. Take the frst number in the dividend (3) and the divisor
(2) in the frst answer column. 2 goes into 3 once, so record a 1 in column 2.
3.
3
Determine the remainder. Next, you need to multiply the quotient in column
two (1) by the dividend in column one (2) to determine the remainder. This
product (2) needs to be subtracted from column four. The divisor should now
read 14.
4.
4
Repeat the process. Record the next digit of the quotient in the third column,
subtracting the product from the divisor (here, eliminating it). Your board
should now read 2, 1, 7, leaving your dividend and the quotient, 17.