Advanced Math Calculations Using Spotlight

You can do more than just basic calculations with Spotlight on a Mac. You can use parenthesis, exponents, trig functions, include units and much more.

Comments: 12 Responses to “Advanced Math Calculations Using Spotlight”

    Bob
    1 year ago

    Curious... do you know of a way to do quick ∆% calculations with either the Mac baked in calculator, spotlight Siri etc?

    Thats something I'd use multiple times a day.

    Excellent videos... Thanks Gary!

    1 year ago

    Bob: You'll need to describe what you want more than that. Give me an example.

    Dan Parton
    1 year ago

    On my M1 24" Mac, when I follow the formula you give for tan(45), it comes up with tan(45) = 1.619775... The answer should be 1. What's wrong?

    1 year ago

    Dan: If you just give it a number, it will assume radians. See the video. Use tan(45deg) or tand(45)

    Sheldon
    1 year ago

    Thanks bunches

    Sheldon
    1 year ago

    Please excuse my dear aunt Sally PEMDAS thanks for noting operation sequence

    Bob
    1 year ago

    Hi Gary... ∆%, (or %CH) as often found on HP calculators. Say something was $69.99 yesterday & $49.99 today, it's a 28.58% reduction. It's easy enough to calculate manually, but if a Mac calculator/spotlight/Siri shortcut exists it would be nice; I do those calculations multiple times a day. Thanks!

    Dan Parton
    1 year ago

    Thanks, Gary. The "If you just give it a number, it will assume radians. See the video. Use tan(45deg) or tand(45)" works correctly. Something to note, the calculator in the M1 doesn't need the "deg" designation. Formula is "45, click tan, = 1" Interesting to say the least.

    1 year ago

    Bob: So just (69.99-49.99)/69.99 gives you that result. I don't think there is an easier way.

    1 year ago

    Dan: The Mac Calculator app, in Scientific mode, has a Deg/Rad button at the bottom left corner. So if you switch to degrees (in which case the button shows "Rad") then works that way, yes.

    Ken Nellis
    1 year ago

    Good things to know. Thanx! Playing along with your video, discovered after entering a calculation in Spotlight, if I hit Return, it launches Calculator with the answer in it. Not sure how useful that is, but kinda neat.

    Jerry
    12 months ago

    Really helpful. Looks like a lot of these cool tricks are available, for what it's worth, using Spotlight on the iPhone, too.

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