🚀 go-pugleaf

ggowland (ggowland@uniserve.com) wrote:

: I am curious if anyone could tell me how this old chinese calculator works.

Basically, it resembles counting on your fingers except with a place value 
system that allows you to count VERY high easily.  
The first wire has ONES below the bar and FIVES above.
The second wire has TENS below the bar and FIFTIES above.
Then HUNDREDS below and FIVE HUNDREDS above.
Since most abaci have around 10 wires, you can go very high!
If you want decimals just move over a few wires.

There are variations: some abaci do not have the bar, so you have to be 
able to count up to ten instead of just five. Some have an extra bead in 
each area: 5 ones and 2 fives etc.

For numbers less than one hundred, you can use your fingers!
Fingers on the right hand are ones, the thumb is five.
Fingers on the left hand are tens, an that thumb is fifty.
This system is taught in some elementary schools as "Finger Math" or 
"Chis En Bok" (Mangled spelling!).  I think it originated in Korea?
While I don't use an abacus often, I frequently find it useful to be able 
to count over ten without taking my shoes off!!
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