What happens when you divide by zero on a mechanical calculator?

This is how the Friden STW-10 handles 12345 ÷ 0.

This calculator divides by trying to repeatedly subtract so it gets stuck in an infinite loop trying to subtract zero from the dividend. Fortunately the designers included a “DIV STOP” lever which breaks the cycle.

[zaktak]

Digital calculator: Sorry man, but you can't do this...
Mechanical calculator: LET ME COOK

[乂]

Mechanical calculators are unironically so impressive

[kurdtcoben]

Modern Calculator: "It's not possible!"
This absolute unit: "No, it's necessary!"

[mjpexfw]

Can we just appreciate that this video isn't 10 minutes long and just straightforward gets to the point?

[elecmagpulse]

The fact that that stop switch exists tells me that the designers definitely predicted this exact scenario

[DanielWright-npfq]

Others may have said this, but that piece of engineering is just beautiful. Made my heart warm just watching this gorgeous thing at work.

[JohnieCanine]

I love how no one is talking about the absolutely satisfying sound this thing gives off.

[YourMothersFavouriteTerminal]

Imagine pulling this out in school when the teacher asks to use calculators for the assignment

[LCTesla]

User: ok that's enough
Calculator: No, no wait I almost got it!

[LavenderJJ_]

How to convert 1950s calculator into diesel engine

[BOT_CORP]

Listening to it suffering attempting to divide by zero is… oddly soothing. I’m adding to my playlist

[Lukeman]

imagine bringing this to the exam hall

[qwesx]

Ironically, the mechanical calculator agrees with the electronics engineers on how to divide by zero.

[a_sliced_lemon]

digital: ERROR 404
mechanical: calculating

[TheLobsterCopter]

Every so often this video gets recommended to me, and I always watch it.

[ScenicDepot]

In high school fifty years ago, there was one jerk who enjoyed putting divide-by-zero into all the mechanical calculators in the math room. These did not have reset buttons, and the result was that they remained stuck in that calculation and all had to go to the repair shop.

[INGIE]

Wow, I didn't know these things existed. That's such a cool machine!

[dfscott]

I used to have one of these when I was a kid -- I have no idea where I got it from but my buddy and I had a blast playing with it.

[shreyas]

This calculator took 'Never quit trying' too seriously😂😂

[daleomiller]

A late 1960s Victor 10-key printing calculator ( sorry I don’t know the model) would literally run forever if you attempted division by zero. To clear it you had to unplug it, remove the case, manually release interlocks to allow you to move the operation lever from division to addition and plug it back in. This was a serious design flaw.

I discovered this because my mother taught high school bookkeeping when I was in elementary school. Each day after school I would go to her classroom and at least once a week one of her students had locked up the calculator. Being the nerd I was (and still am), I learned to reset it so she didn’t have to call the repairman.

I also learned to do minor repairs on Underwood typewriters. :)