Arithmetic operators are used to perform mathematical calculations on numbers. These operators help in tasks like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and other basic mathematical operations.

Addition Operator

The + operator is used to combine two values by adding them together. It returns the sum of both operands and is commonly used in mathematical calculations.

a = 2
b = 3
res = a + b
print(res)

5

Explanation: a + b adds both numbers and returns 5.

Subtraction Operator

The - operator is used to subtract one value from another. It returns the difference between the two operands.

a = 2
b = 3
res = a - b
print(res)

-1

Explanation: a - b subtracts 3 from 2, resulting in -1.

Multiplication Operator

The * operator is used to multiply two values together. It returns the product of the operands.

a = 2
b = 3
res = a * b
print(res)

6

Explanation: a * b multiplies both numbers and returns 6.

Division Operator 

Division operators are used to divide one number by another. Python provides two types of division operators: Float Division (/) and Floor Division (//).

1. Float Division (/): / operator divides two numbers and always returns the result as a floating-point number.

print(5 / 5)
print(10 / 2)
print(-10 / 2)
print(20.0 / 2)

1.0
5.0
-5.0
10.0

Explanation:

• Float division always returns the quotient in decimal form.
• Even when both numbers are integers, the result is returned as a float.

2. Floor Division (//): // operator divides two numbers and returns the floor value of the quotient.

print(10 // 3)
print(-5 // 2)
print(5.0 // 2)
print(-5.0 // 2)

3
-3
2.0
-3.0

Explanation:

• Floor division removes the decimal part of the quotient.
• For negative numbers, the result is rounded down to the nearest smaller integer.

Modulus Operator

The % operator is used to find the remainder left after dividing one number by another. It is commonly used in programs that check divisibility, even or odd numbers and cyclic operations.

a = 3
b = 2
res = a % b
print(res)

1

Explanation: 3 % 2 divides 3 by 2 and the remainder left after division is 1.

Exponentiation Operator

The ** operator is used to raise a number to the power of another number. It performs repeated multiplication of the first number based on the second number.

a = 2
b = 3
res = a ** b
print(res)

8

Explanation: 2 ** 3 means 2 × 2 × 2 and the result of the exponentiation is 8.

Precedence of Arithmetic Operators

The table below shows the precedence and associativity of arithmetic operators in Python.