Brain boost with abacus: 5 secrets for kids and teens

Abacus helps in developing brain. It is helpful for both young children and teenagers.

Abacus training involves teaching math by using a physical Abacus. It promotes whole
brain development by activating both the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

Abacus also helps in concentration, visualization, recall, photographic memory, quick calculations. But do you know what is Abacus and what are various methods used? Do check out the given article for such information.

What is Abacus?

The abacus is a simple calculation tool that is still used around the world. It is a very
useful learning device for the blind and for all those who want to know the roots of
modern computers. After learning the basics of counting, you can quickly do math like
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

What are the various methods for abacus?

There are various methods for solving abacus-

Method 1: to count

Step 1: Hold the abacus properly:

The top row of each column should have one or two beads, while the bottom row of each column should have four beads. When you start, the top row should have all the beads on top, and the bottom row should have all the beads on the bottom. Each bead in the top row will have a value of 5 while each bead in the bottom row will have a value of 1.

Step 2: Give each column a place value

As with modern calculators, each column of beads represents a “place” value from which you create numbers. So, the rightmost column will be the “ones” place (1-9), the one to the left will be the “tens” place (10-99), and the third will be the hundreds (100-999 ), etc.
If necessary, you can also assign decimal places to some columns.

For example, if you want to display the number 10.5, the rightmost column will be the tenths place (the first place after the decimal), the second column will be the ones place, and the third will be the tens place.

Similarly, to represent the number 10.25, the rightmost column will be the hundredth
place, the second column will be the tenths place, the third will be the ones place, and
the fourth will be the tens place.

Step 3: Start counting the beads from the bottom row:

Start counting beads from the bottom row. To count a number, insert one bead into the
“top” position. Moving one bead from the rightmost column of the bottom row to the “up” position will result in “one”, and moving two will result in “two”, etc.

It will be easiest for you to slide the beads in the top row with your thumb, and the beads
in the bottom row with your index finger.

Step 4: Complete the “4/5 exchange”:

Since there are only four beads in the bottom row, to go from “four” to “five,” you move the bead in the top row to the “down” position. and bring down all four beads in the bottom row. This position will read “five” on the abacus. For “six,” move one bead up
from the bottom row. So the top row will have one bead down. (showing a value of 5)
and one bead from the bottom row will be on top.

Step 5: Repeat the same pattern for larger numbers:

The process is generally the same in an abacus. To move from “nine”, where all the beads in the ones place are moved up and one bead of the row above is down, to “ten”, where all the beads in the tens place are moved up one bead, (While all beads in the one position are returned to their starting position “0”).

For example, for 11, one bead each in the first and second columns will be moved up,
and all in the bottom row. For twelve, two beads in the second column and one bead in the first column will be up, and all in the bottom row will be moved up.

For two hundred and twenty-six, two in the second and third columns of the bottom row
would have been moved up. In the first column, one bead from the bottom row will have moved up and one bead from the topmost row will have moved down.

Method 2 of solving abacus

Method 2- addition and subtraction

Step 1: Input the first number:

Let’s say you need to add 1234 and 5678. First of all enter 1234 in the abacus. For this,
move four beads up in place of ones, three in place of tens, two in place of hundreds and one in place of thousands.

Step 2: Start adding from the left:

First you’ll add the thousands digits 1 and 5, and in this case bring down one bead from
the top row of that column to add 5 while leaving the bottom bead in place below. . like that. To add 6 to the hundreds place, move the topmost bead of the hundreds place down and move one bead of the bottom row up, making the sum 8.

Step 3: Complete the exchange:

Since adding the two digits in the tens place will make the sum 10, you will carry over
the 1 in the hundreds place, making a 9 in that column. Then slide all the beads down in place of the tens so that there will be a zero there.

In the Once column, the same thing will happen. Adding eights and fours gives 12, so you’ll carry over one in the tens place, making it a 1, which will leave a 2 in the ones place.

Step 4: Count the beads for the answer

You have 6 in the thousands column, 9 in the hundreds. 1 in tens and 2 in ones: 1,234 + 5,678 = 6,912.

Step 5: Subtract by reversing the addition process

borrow the numbers from the previous column instead of carrying them over. Let’s say you’re subtracting 867 from 932. After entering 932 in Abacus, start subtracting column by column starting from the left.

Subtracting eight from nine will give one, so you’ll be left with a bead in the hundreds
place. At the tens place, you can’t subtract 6 from 3, so you’ll borrow 1 from the hundreds place (where there is now a zero) and subtract 6 from 13, leaving 7 at the tens place (one bead up will remain on top and two bottom beads will be left).

Do the same thing for the ones place, “borrow” a bead from the tens place (making 6 there), and instead of subtracting 7 from 2, you’ll be subtracting 7 from 12.

5 should be left in the once column: 932 – 867 = 65.

Method 3 of solving abacus: to multiply

Step 1: Record the problem on the abacus

Start in the leftmost column of the abacus. Let’s say you have to multiply 34 and 12. You have to assign columns for “3”, “4”, “X”, “1”, “2”, and “=” and leave the remaining columns for the product.

“X” and “=” will be shown with empty columns.

The leftmost column of the abacus should have 3 beads up, the one to the right should
have 4 beads up, then an empty column, the one after that has one bead up, and the one
after that has two beads up and then an empty column. The remaining columns should remain open.

Step 2: Multiply by alternating columns:

The order is very important here. Here you need to multiply the first column by the first
column after the break, then multiply the first column by the second column after the
break. Then, you must multiply the second column before the break by the first column
after the break, then multiply the second column before the break by the second column after the break.

Even if you’re multiplying larger numbers, follow the same pattern: start at the leftmost number, and move to the right.

Step 3: Record the products in the correct order:

Start recording your answer after the empty column with “=”. As you multiply the
numbers you will move the beads to the right of the abacus. Such as for 34 x 12:

First multiply 3 and 1, and record their product in the first answer column. Move three beads up in that seventh column.

Then multiply 3 and 2 and record their product in the eighth column. Slide one bead
down in the top section and one bead up in the bottom section.

When you multiply 4 and 1, add that product (4) to the eighth column, the second column containing the answer. Since you are adding the 4 in that column to 6, carry one bead to the first column of the answer, making 4 in the seventh column (moving four beads from the lowest section up toward the central bar) and 0 in the eighth. (All beads will remain in their starting positions: the beads in the top section will slide up, and the ones in the bottom section will slide down).

Record the product of the last two digits 4 and 2 in the last column of the answer. Now it should look like this: 4, blank, and 8, which would mean your answer is 408.

Method 4 of solving abacus: to divide

Step 1: Divisor

Leave space for your answer to the right of the divisor and dividend: The divisor will be
placed in the leftmost column when you’re dividing on the abacus. Leave two empty
columns to the right, then put the dividends in the columns after that. The remaining
columns on its right side will be kept for answer related work. Leave them empty for
now.

For example, to divide 34 by 2, put 2 in the leftmost column, then leave two columns
empty, then put 34 to the right. Leave the other columns blank for answers.

To do this, move the bottom two beads up in the leftmost column. After that leave two
columns blank. In the fourth column, move three beads from the bottom up. In the fifth
column from the left, move four beads from the bottom up.

The empty columns between the divisor and the dividend are there just to make the
numbers visible and not to confuse one with the other.

Step 2: Record the quotient:

Divide the first digit of the dividend (3) by the divisor (2), and place it in the first blank
column of the answer section. Will go once in two, three, so record 1 there.

For this, move one bead up from the bottom in the first column of the answer section.

If you wish, you can leave a column between the Dividend and Answer sections columns. This will make it easier for you to differentiate between dividend and calculation work.

Step 3: Remove the remainder:

Next, you need to multiply the coefficient (1) in the first column of the answer section by
the dividend (2) in column one to find the remainder. This product (2) must be
subtracted from the first column of dividends. Now Dividend 14 should appear.

In order for the dividend to read 14, the bottom two beads in the fifth column, which
were just raised to the central bar, need to be moved down to their starting positions.
Only one bead at the bottom of the fifth column should be shifted up towards the central bar.

Step 4: Repeat the process:

Subtract the product from the dividend (eliminating it here), record the next digit of the quotient in the next blank column of the answer section. There should now be 2 on your board, followed by two empty columns, followed by 1,7, which will represent your
divisor and quotient, 17.

Two beads from the bottom of the leftmost column will be moved up toward the center
bar.

After this there will be several empty columns. One bead will be moved up from the bottom of the first column of the answer section towards the central bar. In the next
column of the answer section, move two beads from the lower section up toward the
center bar and one bead from the upper section down.

Frequently asked questions about abacus?

For more such information do checkout out our other articles. Don’t forget to share it
with your family and friends who are interested in knowing more about the happening around the world.

Read also: How to make money from blogging in 2024