How to Use an Abacus?

Answer 1

A Chinese abacus is an ancient but fun to use calculator. You could even think of the Chinese abacus as the first computer. Once you get the basics of the Chinese abacus, it can be fun to use.

Step 1: Lay the abacus down in front of you with the row with the smallest amount of beads away from you. This is called Heaven. The row with the most beads are called Earth.

Step 2: The first column on the right represents ones. Going to the left, the next column represents tens, next column represents hundreds, and so on.

Step 3: Each Earth bead represents a value of one, while the Heaven beads represent a value of 5.

Step 4: Zero the abacus out by pushing all the Heaven beads up away from the center, and all the Earth beads down away from the center. The abacus is now at zero.

Step 5: On the far right column, push one Earth bead up to the center, this is one. In the same column push another Earth bead up to the center, this is two.

Step 6: Continue pushing the Earth beads up toward the center one at a time until you reach number four. When you get to number five, you will push all Earth beads in the far right column down a way from the center. In the same far right column, you will then pull one Heaven bead down to the center, this is five. Remember, Heaven beads represents values of five.

Step 7: Continue counting from five through nine using the far right column.

Step 8: Remember the far right column is ones, the next is tens. So when you reach number ten, zero the abacus out. Working from right to left still, move one Earth bead up from the second column. This is ten. So if you want to do one hundred, you simply zero the abacus out, and move one Earth bead up to the center from the hundreds column.

Step 9: Now you have the idea of how to count with an abacus, you will learn how to add.

Step 10: Zero the abacus out. Let's try adding 5 + 5 on the abacus.

Step 11: Move the far right Heave bead (five) down to the center. This is the first number in the equation.

Step 12: Now add five to the first five by moving the top Earth bead in the second column up to the center, and moving the Heaven bead in the first column back up from the center. The only bead you should have in the center is the one Earth bead in the tens column. This one Earth bead in the center is a one in the tens column, the next column to the right has no beads in the center which is zero. So the abacus is showing a one and a zero which is ten. 5 + 5 = 10.

Step 13: Let's try 1 + 6 this time. Zero out the abacus once again.

Step 14: Move one Earth bead up to the center to represent one. You should only have the far right Earth bead in the center at this time.

Step 15: To add six, move the far right Heaven bead down to the center (five) and move one more Earth bead from the far right up to the center.

Step 16: You should have only three beads in the center, and they all should be in the far right column. You should have one Heaven bead in the center (five), and two earth beads in the center (two). The answer to 6 + 1 is 7 as it shows on the abacus.

You now have the basics of using an abacus. Practice counting on the abacus as first described. Then practice doing some basic additions. To generate random numbers to practice adding with I would recommend using two six sided dice. Roll both dice, and make each dice a single digit. For example, if I rolled both dice and they came up as a five and a two. Then I would add 5 + 2 to the abacus to get 7. It seems a little difficult at first, but keep practicing. Soon you will have learned an ancient art.