JavaScript Arithmetic Operators (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 22 Nov, 2024

**JavaScript Arithmetic Operators are the operator that operate upon the numerical values and return a numerical value.

**Addition (+) Operator

The addition operator takes two numerical operands and gives their numerical sum. It also concatenates two strings or numbers.

JavaScript `

// Number + Number => Addition let x = 1 + 2; console.log( x );

// Number + String => Concatenation let y = 5 + "hello"; console.log( y );

`

**Subtraction (-) Operator

The subtraction operator gives the difference between two operands in the form of numerical value.

JavaScript `

// Number - Number => Subtraction let x = 10 - 7; console.log( x );

let y = "Hello" - 1; console.log( y );

`

**Multiplication (*) Operator

The multiplication operator gives the product of operands where one operand is a multiplicand and another is multiplier.

JavaScript `

// Number * Number => Multiplication let x = 3 * 3; let y = -4 * 4; console.log(x); console.log(y);

let a = Infinity * 0; let b = Infinity * Infinity; console.log(a); console.log(b); let z = 'hi' * 2; console.log(z);

`

Output

9 -16 NaN Infinity NaN

**Division (/) Operator

The division operator provides the quotient of its operands where the right operand is the divisor and the left operand is the dividend.

JavaScript `

// Number / Number => Division let x = 5 / 2; let y = 1.0 / 2.0; console.log(x); console.log(y);

let a = 3.0 / 0; let b = 4.0 / 0.0; console.log(a); console.log(b); let z = 2.0 / -0.0; console.log(z);

`

Output

2.5 0.5 Infinity Infinity -Infinity

**Modulus (%) Operator

The modulus operator returns the remainder left over when a dividend is divided by a divisor. The modulus operator is also known as the **remainder operator****.** It takes the sign of the dividend.

JavaScript `

// Number % Number => Modulus of the number let x = 9 % 5; let y = -12 % 5; let z = 1 % -2; let a = 5.5 % 2; let b = -4 % 2; let c = NaN % 2;

console.log(x); console.log(y); console.log(z); console.log(a); console.log(b); console.log(c);

`

**Exponentiation (**) Operator

The exponentiation operator gives the result of raising the first operand to the power of the second operand. The exponentiation operator is right-associative.

In JavaScript, it is not possible to write an ambiguous exponentiation expression i.e. you cannot put an unary operator (+ / – / ~ / ! / delete / void) immediately before the base number.

JavaScript `

// Number ** Number => Exponential of the number

// let x = -4 ** 2 // This is an incorrect expression let y = -(4 ** 2); let z = 2 ** 5; let a = 3 ** 3; let b = 3 ** 2.5; let c = 10 ** -2; let d = 2 ** 3 ** 2; let e = NaN ** 2;

console.log(y); console.log(z); console.log(a); console.log(b); console.log(c); console.log(d); console.log(e);

`

Output

-16 32 27 15.588457268119896 0.01 512 NaN

**Increment (++) Operator

The increment operator increments (adds one to) its operand and returns a value.

• If used postfix with the operator after the operand (for example, x++), then it increments and returns the value before incrementing.
• If used prefix with the operator before the operand (for example, ++x), then it increments and returns the value after incrementing. JavaScript `

// Postfix let a = 2; b = a++; // b = 2, a = 3

// Prefix let x = 5; y = ++x; // x = 6, y = 6

console.log(a); console.log(b); console.log(x); console.log(y);

`

**Decrement (- -) Operator

The decrement operator decrements (subtracts one from) its operand and returns a value.

• If used postfix, with operator after operand (for example, x–), then it decrements and returns the value before decrementing.
• If used prefix, with the operator before the operand (for example, –x), then it decrements and returns the value after decrementing. JavaScript `

// Prefix let a = 2; b = --a;

// Postfix let x = 3; y = x--;

console.log(a); console.log(b); console.log(x); console.log(y);

`

**Unary Negation (-) Operator

This is a unary operator i.e. it operates on a single operand. It gives the negation of an operand.

JavaScript `

let a = 3; b = -a;

// Unary negation operator // can convert non-numbers // into a number let x = "3"; y = -x;

console.log(a); console.log(b); console.log(x); console.log(y);

`

**Unary Plus (+) Operator

This is a way to convert a non-number into a number. Although unary negation (-) also can convert non-numbers, unary plus is the fastest and preferred way of converting something into a number, because it does not perform any other operations on the number.

JavaScript `

let a = +4; let b = +'2';
let c = +true;
let x = +false; let y = +null;

console.log(a); console.log(b); console.log(c); console.log(x); console.log(y);

`

Arithmetic Operators list

There are many arithmetic operators as shown in the table with the description.

We have a complete list of Javascript operators, to check those please go through this Javascript Operators Complete reference article.

We have a Cheat Sheet on Javascript where we covered all the important topics of Javascript to check those please go through Javascript Cheat Sheet-A Basic guide to JavaScript.