Arithmetic Operators

Arithmetic operators allow you to perform mathematical calculations in your Arduino programs. They work with integer and floating-point types and follow standard mathematical precedence rules. Understanding how these operators behave - especially with mixed types - is essential for correct calculations.

= (assignment)

The = operator assigns the value on the right to the variable on the left. It is not the same as mathematical equality - it stores a value into memory.

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  int x;
  x = 42;  // assign 42 to x
  Serial.println(x);  // prints 42

  int y = x;  // assign the value of x to y
  Serial.println(y);  // prints 42
}

void loop() {
  // nothing to do here
}

In this example, x = 42 stores the value 42 in the variable x. Assignment is a fundamental operation - without it, variables would always hold their default (zero or garbage) values. Unlike in math, you can chain assignments: a = b = c = 0; sets all three to 0.

+ (addition)

The + operator adds two numbers together. It works with both integers and floating-point values.

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  int a = 10;
  int b = 20;
  int sum = a + b;
  Serial.println(sum);  // prints 30

  float x = 2.5;
  float y = 3.7;
  float fsum = x + y;
  Serial.println(fsum);  // prints 6.2
}

void loop() {
  // nothing to do here
}

This example shows integer addition (10 + 20 = 30) and floating-point addition (2.5 + 3.7 = 6.2). When mixing types, the integer is promoted to float before the operation: 5 + 2.3 gives 7.3.

- (subtraction)

The - operator subtracts one number from another. It can also be used as a unary operator to negate a value.

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  int a = 50;
  int b = 30;
  int diff = a - b;
  Serial.println(diff);  // prints 20

  int neg = -diff;  // unary negation
  Serial.println(neg);  // prints -20
}

void loop() {
  // nothing to do here
}

Subtraction with integers can produce negative results. Be careful with unsigned types - subtracting a larger value from a smaller one causes wrap-around rather than producing a negative result.

* (multiplication)

The * operator multiplies two numbers. Be aware of overflow when the result exceeds the range of the data type.

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  int a = 100;
  int b = 500;
  long result = a * b;  // overflows! 100 * 500 = 50000
  Serial.println(result);  // wrong!

  long correct = (long)a * b;  // cast first
  Serial.println(correct);  // prints 50000
}

void loop() {
  // nothing to do here
}

Here, a * b is calculated as a 16-bit int and overflows before being assigned to long. Casting one operand to long forces 32-bit arithmetic. Always ensure your intermediate results fit within the type being used.

/ (division)

The / operator divides one number by another. When both operands are integers, the result is truncated (not rounded). For floating-point division, at least one operand must be a float.

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  int a = 10;
  int b = 3;
  int intResult = a / b;
  Serial.println(intResult);  // prints 3 (truncated)

  float floatResult = (float)a / b;
  Serial.println(floatResult);  // prints 3.33

  // Also works with a float literal
  float r2 = a / 3.0;
  Serial.println(r2);  // prints 3.33
}

void loop() {
  // nothing to do here
}

Integer division truncates toward zero - 10 / 3 gives 3, not 3.33. To get a fractional result, convert one operand to float before dividing. Division by zero causes undefined behavior and should always be avoided.

% (remainder)

The % operator returns the remainder of integer division. It works only with integer types.

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  int a = 17;
  int b = 5;
  int quotient = a / b;   // 3
  int remainder = a % b;  // 2 (17 = 3*5 + 2)
  Serial.print(quotient);
  Serial.print(" remainder ");
  Serial.println(remainder);

  // Check if a number is even
  for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
    if (i % 2 == 0) {
      Serial.print(i);
      Serial.println(" is even");
    }
  }
}

void loop() {
  // nothing to do here
}

The remainder operator is commonly used to check divisibility (e.g., x % 2 == 0 for even numbers), wrap around array indices, or implement cyclic behavior like looping through LED patterns.