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Year 10
AQA

Arithmetic operators

I can use a variety of arithmetic operators in a program.

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New
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Year 10
AQA

Arithmetic operators

I can use a variety of arithmetic operators in a program.

Download all resources
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Share activities with pupils
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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Arithmetic expressions are used to calculate values.
  2. Arithmetic expressions can be used in selection statements. Expressions either return as True or False.
  3. In real division there is no remainder because the entire value is divided.
  4. Integer division is when any remainder of a division is discarded.
  5. Modulo division (MOD) will return only the remainder of a division.

Keywords

  • Operator - a symbol or word that instructs the computer to perform a specific calculation or action.

  • Arithetic expression - an expression that results in a numeric value.

  • Integer division - sometimes known as floor division, is when any remainder of a division is discarded.

  • Modulo division - an operation that returns the remainder of a division.

Common misconception

Just like addition, subtraction and multiplication there is only one type of division in programming.

There are three types of division in programming; real, integer and modulo division. Each deal with remainder values differently and will be useful in different ways in programming.


To help you plan your year 10 computer science lesson on: Arithmetic operators, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This lesson requires pupils to understand the order of precedence of operations. Spend some time ensuring pupils understand the concepts covered in the maths curriculum before moving on to implementing in programs.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

All pupils requires access to devices that can edit and run Python programs. Starter code files are available to copy or use directly via the Raspberry Pi Code Editor.

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What will be displayed if the user inputs "Python"?
123456
print("Name the best programming language?") language = input() if language == "Python": print("Hi Pythonista") else: print("Wrong!")
Wrong!
Correct answer: Hi Pythonista
Hi Pythonista Wrong!
There is an error in the program.
Q2.
What will this program output?
1234567
number = 13 if number < 10: print("small") elif number < 100: print("medium") elif number < 1000: print("large")
small
Correct answer: medium
medium large
large
Q3.
What will this program output if the user enters 0?
123456
print("Enter a number") number = int(input()) if number >= 0: print(f"{number} is positive") else: print(f"{number} is negative")
0 is positive 0 is negative
Correct answer: 0 is positive
0 is negative
Q4.
If a program checks a condition and finds it to be False, what happens next?
it follows the True path
it stops running
Correct answer: it follows the False path
It repeats the condition
Q5.
Match the term to the description.
Correct Answer:selection,used when there is more than one possible path for a program to follow
tick

used when there is more than one possible path for a program to follow

Correct Answer:condition,an expression that evaluates to True or False
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an expression that evaluates to True or False

Correct Answer:multi-path selection,used when there are multiple paths for a program to follow
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used when there are multiple paths for a program to follow

Q6.
What is the name of the shape used to represent a decision in a flow chart?
Correct Answer: diamond

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is an arithmetic operator?
a symbol used to store values
Correct answer: a symbol that tells the computer to perform a calculation
a variable that holds text
a special type of loop
Q2.
What is the result of 10 - 2 + 2 * 5
20
Correct answer: 18
16
14
Q3.
What does the // symbol represent?
real divisision
modulo division
Correct answer: integer division
Q4.
What is the result of 14 // 3?
Correct Answer: 4
Q5.
What does the modulo operator (%) return?
the whole number from a division
the sum of two numbers
the result of the division including decimal points
Correct answer: the remainder of a division
Q6.
Match the symbol to the operation.
Correct Answer:+,addition
tick

addition

Correct Answer:/,real division
tick

real division

Correct Answer:*,multiplication
tick

multiplication

Correct Answer://,integer division
tick

integer division

Correct Answer:%,modulo division
tick

modulo division

Correct Answer:,exponentiation
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exponentiation