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Arithmetic Operators0%
Arithmetic Operators
Beginner13 min read•Updated: 2026-09-30
➕ Arithmetic Operators in Python
Arithmetic operators are used to perform mathematical calculations in Python.
You already use these calculations in everyday life:
- Adding numbers
- Subtracting numbers
- Multiplying numbers
- Dividing numbers
- Finding the remainder
Python can do all of these calculations for you.
For example:
10 + 5
The result is:
15
Pro Tip
Simple idea:
Arithmetic operators are symbols that tell Python which mathematical calculation to perform.
🧮 Arithmetic Operators in Python
Python provides several arithmetic operators:
| Operator | Name | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
+ | Addition | 10 + 5 | 15 |
- | Subtraction | 10 - 5 | 5 |
* | Multiplication | 10 * 5 | 50 |
/ | Division | 10 / 5 | 2.0 |
% | Modulus | 10 % 3 | 1 |
** | Exponentiation | 2 ** 3 | 8 |
// | Floor Division | 10 // 3 | 3 |
Don't worry if some of these look new.
We will understand each one with simple examples.
1. ➕ Addition Operator (+)
The + operator is used to add two numbers.
Example
print(10 + 5)
Output:
15
Another example:
print(25 + 15)
Output:
40
Real-Life Example
Suppose you have:
₹500
+
₹200
Python can calculate:
print(500 + 200)
Output:
700
Remember:
+ means add.2. ➖ Subtraction Operator (-)
The - operator is used to subtract one number from another.
Example
print(10 - 5)
Output:
5
Another example:
print(100 - 35)
Output:
65
Real-Life Example
Suppose you have ₹1,000 and spend ₹250.
print(1000 - 250)
Output:
750
Remember:
- means subtract.3. ✖️ Multiplication Operator (*)
The * operator is used to multiply numbers.
In Python, multiplication uses an asterisk *.
Example
print(10 * 5)
Output:
50
Another example:
print(12 * 4)
Output:
48
Real-Life Example
Suppose one notebook costs ₹50 and you buy 4 notebooks.
print(50 * 4)
Output:
200
Remember:
* means multiply.4. ➗ Division Operator (/)
The / operator is used to divide one number by another.
Example
print(10 / 2)
Output:
5.0
Notice that Python gives:
5.0
instead of:
5
The / operator produces a division result in decimal form.
Another example:
print(20 / 4)
Output:
5.0
Example with a non-even division
print(10 / 3)
Output will be approximately:
3.3333333333333335
Remember:
/ means division.5. 🔢 Modulus Operator (%)
The % operator is called the modulus operator.
It gives us the remainder after division.
This is one of the most useful arithmetic operators.
Example
print(10 % 3)
Let's understand it:
10 ÷ 3
3 × 3 = 9
Remainder = 1
So:
10 % 3 = 1
Output:
1
Another Example
print(20 % 5)
Output:
0
Why?
Because 20 can be divided by 5 exactly.
20 ÷ 5 = 4
Remainder = 0
Simple Trick to Remember
Think:
% asks: "What is left after division?"For example:
print(17 % 5)
Output:
2
Because:
17 ÷ 5
5 × 3 = 15
Remainder = 2
Remember:
% gives the remainder.6. 🔢 Exponentiation Operator (**)
The ** operator is used to calculate powers.
For example:
print(2 ** 3)
This means:
2 × 2 × 2
So the result is:
8
Another example:
print(5 ** 2)
This means:
5 × 5
Output:
25
Easy Way to Understand
2 ** 2 = 4
2 ** 3 = 8
2 ** 4 = 16
Remember:
** means power or exponentiation.7. 🔽 Floor Division Operator (//)
The // operator performs division and returns the whole-number part of the result by rounding down.
Example
print(10 // 3)
Normal division:
10 / 3 = 3.333...
Floor division:
10 // 3 = 3
So:
print(10 // 3)
Output:
3
Another example:
print(20 // 6)
Output:
3
Because:
20 / 6 = 3.333...
and floor division gives:
3
Pro Tip
Easy way to remember:
/ gives the normal division result.
// gives the result rounded down to the nearest whole number.📋 Quick Comparison
Here is an easy way to remember all arithmetic operators:
| Operator | What it does | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
+ | Adds numbers | 8 + 2 | 10 |
- | Subtracts numbers | 8 - 2 | 6 |
* | Multiplies numbers | 8 * 2 | 16 |
/ | Divides numbers | 8 / 2 | 4.0 |
% | Gives remainder | 8 % 3 | 2 |
** | Calculates power | 2 ** 3 | 8 |
// | Floor division | 8 // 3 | 2 |
🧠 Arithmetic Calculations Together
Python can use more than one arithmetic operator in a single calculation.
For example:
print(10 + 5 * 2)
The result is:
20
Why is the answer 20 and not 30?
Because Python follows a specific order of operations.
📐 Order of Operations
When multiple arithmetic operators are used together, Python follows a mathematical order.
A simple rule to remember is:
1. Parentheses
2. Powers
3. Multiplication, Division, Floor Division, Modulus
4. Addition and Subtraction
Click to ZoomYou can remember the basic idea as:
Pro Tip
Brackets → Power → Multiply/Divide → Add/Subtract
Example 1
print(10 + 5 * 2)
Python first performs:
5 * 2 = 10
Then:
10 + 10 = 20
So the output is:
20
Example 2
print((10 + 5) * 2)
This time, the parentheses are calculated first:
10 + 5 = 15
Then:
15 * 2 = 30
Output:
30
Notice how parentheses changed the result.
Pro Tip
When you want Python to perform a calculation first, use parentheses
().🧪 Let's Practice
Now it's your turn.
Try to predict the output before running each program.
🟢 Practice 1: Addition
print(25 + 15)
Expected Output:
40
🟢 Practice 2: Subtraction
print(100 - 35)
Expected Output:
65
🟡 Practice 3: Multiplication
print(12 * 5)
Expected Output:
60
🟡 Practice 4: Division
print(25 / 5)
Expected Output:
5.0
🟡 Practice 5: Modulus
print(17 % 4)
Expected Output:
1
🔵 Practice 6: Power
print(3 ** 3)
Expected Output:
27
🔵 Practice 7: Floor Division
print(17 // 4)
Expected Output:
4
🔥 Challenge: Mixed Calculation
Try to calculate the answer before running the code:
print(20 + 5 * 2)
Think carefully about the order of operations.
Answer:
30
🛠️ Mini Activity
Try these calculations yourself.
print(50 + 25)
print(100 - 45)
print(12 * 8)
print(100 / 4)
print(19 % 5)
print(2 ** 5)
print(19 // 5)
Your Task
Before running the code, write down what you think the output of each line will be.
Then run the program and check your answers.
Pro Tip
🎯 Learning Tip: Predicting the answer before running the code is a great way to improve your programming understanding.
⚠️ Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Using x instead of *
In normal mathematics, multiplication is sometimes written using ×.
In Python, multiplication uses:
*
Correct:
print(5 * 4)
Not:
print(5 x 4)
2. Confusing / and //
Remember:
10 / 3
gives approximately:
3.333...
while:
10 // 3
gives:
3
3. Confusing % with Percentage
In Python, % is the modulus operator.
It gives the remainder after division.
For example:
print(15 % 4)
Output:
3
4. Forgetting Operator Priority
Look at:
print(10 + 2 * 5)
Python performs multiplication first:
2 * 5 = 10
10 + 10 = 20
So the result is:
20
Use parentheses when you want a different order:
print((10 + 2) * 5)
Output:
60
📝 Quick Summary
Arithmetic operators help Python perform mathematical calculations.
The main arithmetic operators are:
+→ Addition-→ Subtraction*→ Multiplication/→ Division%→ Remainder**→ Power//→ Floor Division
Python can also combine multiple operators in one calculation.
When calculations are combined, Python follows an order of operations.
🎯 Key Idea:
Arithmetic operators are the basic tools Python uses to perform mathematical calculations.
🧠 Practice Quiz
Question 1
Which operator is used for addition?
Question 2
Which operator is used for multiplication?
Question 3
What is the result of this expression?
PythonCode Snippet
10 - 4
Question 4
What does
% return?Question 5
What is the result of:
PythonCode Snippet
10 % 3
Question 6
What does
** do?Question 7
What is the result of:
PythonCode Snippet
10 // 3
Question 8
What is the output?
PythonCode Snippet
print(10 + 5 * 2)
🚀 What's Next?
You now know how Python performs basic mathematical calculations using arithmetic operators.
Practice these operators by writing your own calculations and predicting the output before running the code.
Next Lesson
Assignment Operators
Continue learning with hands-on practice, examples, and exercises in the upcoming topic.
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| String Methods | Assignment Operators |
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Test your understanding of this lesson with 8 questions. Each question has one correct answer.