SafekipediaA calculation is a way to use mathematical ideas to change a group of numbers or facts into one or more answers. We use the word "calculation" in many ways. It can mean using a clear arithmetical method, like following steps in a algorithm. It can also mean using heuristics to plan a strategy in a game or to guess if two people might get along well.
For example, multiplying 7 by 6 is a simple calculation. Finding the square root or the cube root of a number using math rules is a more difficult calculation.
Statistical estimations from opinion polls also use calculations. These give a range of possible answers instead of one exact number. To calculate means to find an answer using math for a number or amount. For harder problems, we use logic, reason, or common sense. The word "calculate" comes from the Latin word calculus, which meant a pebble. People used small stones on an abacus (Latin: abacus, Greek: ἄβαξ, romanized: abax) for counting before inventions like the slide-rule and the electronic calculator. The abacus had pebbles that moved along metal bars.
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Calculation, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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