In History

The Abacus is one of mankind’s oldest machines, and certainly man’s earliest computer.

An abacus is a bead and wire analog counting and calculating device whose earliest form appeared about 3000 BC in Mesopotamia as a sand covered board in which marks were made by finger or stick.

The Abacus was really nothing more than a physical representation of human thought. When it turned out to greatly boost the efficiency of human counting, it became widely used.

Humans had long been capable of counting, adding, subtracting and solving simple and complex mathematical problems.  Stone tools and the wheel gave humankind the ability to master physical obstacles in the environment.

Where does the name abacus come from?

The name abacus derives from the ancient word for ” dust “.

When was the abacus first used?

The abacus was first noted in History around 3000 BC.

It was first used in Mesopotamia. The abacus system evolved as a grooved board and ultimately reached its wire and bead form in Egypt by about 500 BC. The abacus was also found in Greece and India and was in widespread use in China by 190 AD, where it is still commonly used today. (By traditionalists, or simply by those who can’t afford a computer.)

How does one use an abacus?

The Chinese abacus uses 10 wires with seven beads each to represent place values. One set of beads represents ones and others represent fives. By quickly moving the beads, a skilled abacus user can do addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as fast as the average person can work similar problems on an electronic calculator.

Today in America it is difficult to find one, as we prefer computers, or more simple calculators to do the job of counting for us.

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