What can you do with Google's calculator and unit conversions?

[TALewis]

Google has a neat calculator built into its search box. There is a good summary here:

http://www.google.com/help/calculator.html

Copy and paste the following queries to see it work:

Arithmetic operations:

sqrt((3*6/9)^2+7!)

Transcendental:

3*sin( 54 degrees )
2*log ( e / pi )

Complex numbers:

(3+7i)*(6-2i)

Unit conversions:

12 miles in kilometers
2400 joules in btu
34 degrees in radians

And now, the coolest part: physics calculations with universal constants and automatic units manipulation:

1 cm^2 * 15 feet per second in gallons per hour

1 kg * speed of light ^2

1/sqrt( permeability of free space * permittivity of free space )

sqrt( 2e-7 N/m * 2*pi * 1 m / permeability of free space )

( ( gravitational constant * Earth mass / ( 2*pi / day )^2 )^(1/3) - radius of Earth ) in miles

I know there are other tools out there that do this sort of thing (such as my TI-89), but having it on Google makes fun and easy to use for quick calculations.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Yeah that is pretty slick eh? You can also type in common equations and google will display a link to more information on it.

 

[gazzo]

google has everything. :/

http://www.google.com/jobs/lunar_job.html

 

[chroot]

I have been using the Google calculator here on PF for a long time now. If someone asks a question like "how is the speed of light related to $\epsilon_0$ and $\mu_0$" I will reply with something like this:

They are related by

$$\frac{1}{\sqrt{\epsilon_0 \mu_0}}$$

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...stant+*+magnetic+constant)&btnG=Google+Search

I feel that this not only introduces the viewer to the Google calculator, it also helps him understand the relationship more numerically than symbolically. Altogether, Google's done us all a huge service.

- Warren

 

[TALewis]

Lately I've been wanting a Google currency converter, so I could enter queries like:

25 GBP in USD
10000 yen in USD

et cetera. I know there are sites and programs that will do those conversions, but Google is just so darn convenient.