Arithmetic operators are used to perform mathematical calculations on numbers. These operators help in tasks like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and other basic mathematical operations.
| Operator | Description | Syntax |
|---|---|---|
| + | Addition: Adds two values | x + y |
| – | Subtraction: Subtracts one value from another | x – y |
| * | Multiplication: Multiplies two values | x * y |
| / | Division (float): Divides and returns a float value | x / y |
| // | Division (floor): Divides and returns the floor value | x // y |
| % | Modulus: Returns the remainder after division | x % y |
| ** | Power: Raises a number to the power of another | x ** y |
Addition Operator
The + operator is used to combine two values by adding them together. It returns the sum of both operands and is commonly used in mathematical calculations.
a = 2
b = 3
res = a + b
print(res)
Output
5
Explanation: a + b adds both numbers and returns 5.
Subtraction Operator
The - operator is used to subtract one value from another. It returns the difference between the two operands.
a = 2
b = 3
res = a - b
print(res)
Output
-1
Explanation: a - b subtracts 3 from 2, resulting in -1.
Multiplication Operator
The * operator is used to multiply two values together. It returns the product of the operands.
a = 2
b = 3
res = a * b
print(res)
Output
6
Explanation: a * b multiplies both numbers and returns 6.
Division Operator
Division operators are used to divide one number by another. Python provides two types of division operators: Float Division (/) and Floor Division (//).
1. Float Division (/): / operator divides two numbers and always returns the result as a floating-point number.
print(5 / 5)
print(10 / 2)
print(-10 / 2)
print(20.0 / 2)
Output
1.0 5.0 -5.0 10.0
Explanation:
- Float division always returns the quotient in decimal form.
- Even when both numbers are integers, the result is returned as a float.
2. Floor Division (//): // operator divides two numbers and returns the floor value of the quotient.
print(10 // 3)
print(-5 // 2)
print(5.0 // 2)
print(-5.0 // 2)
Output
3 -3 2.0 -3.0
Explanation:
- Floor division removes the decimal part of the quotient.
- For negative numbers, the result is rounded down to the nearest smaller integer.
Modulus Operator
The % operator is used to find the remainder left after dividing one number by another. It is commonly used in programs that check divisibility, even or odd numbers and cyclic operations.
a = 3
b = 2
res = a % b
print(res)
Output
1
Explanation: 3 % 2 divides 3 by 2 and the remainder left after division is 1.
Exponentiation Operator
The ** operator is used to raise a number to the power of another number. It performs repeated multiplication of the first number based on the second number.
a = 2
b = 3
res = a ** b
print(res)
Output
8
Explanation: 2 ** 3 means 2 × 2 × 2 and the result of the exponentiation is 8.
Precedence of Arithmetic Operators
The table below shows the precedence and associativity of arithmetic operators in Python.
Operator | Description | Associativity |
|---|---|---|
** | Exponentiation | Right to Left |
%, *, /, // | Modulus, Multiplication, Division and Floor Division | Left to Right |
+, - | Addition and Subtraction | Left to Right |