Google Tips

Some great Google stuff from Joe Oliver:

Google Is a Calculator

When you can’t be troubled to reach over and pick up the handheld calculator sitting on your desk, you can use Google as a high-tech web-based calculator. All you have to do is enter your equation or formula into the standard Google search box, and then click the Google Search button. The result of the calculation is displayed on the search results page; it’s that simple.

You can use the standard algebraic operators to construct your calculations—+, -, x, and / for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, accordingly. For example, to add 2 plus 3, enter **2 + 3** and press Enter. To divide 10 by 2, enter **10 / 2**, and so on.

And Google’s calculator isn’t limited to basic addition and multiplication. It can also handle more advanced calculations, trigonometric functions, inverse trigonometric functions, hyperbolic functions, and logarithmic functions. Just enter the proper formula into the search box, and wait for Google to display the answer.

Constants

In addition to performing calculations, Google also knows a variety of mathematical and scientific constants, such as pi, Avogadro’s Number, and Planck’s Constant. It also knows the radius of the Earth, the mass of the sun, the speed of light, the gravitational constant, and a lot more.

For example, if you’re not sure what the value of pi is, just enter
**pi** into the Search box and press Enter; Google returns 3.14159265, as it should. How about the speed of light? Enter **speed of light**, and Google returns 299,792,458 m/s. It’s amazing what Google knows.

Google Converts Units of Measure

Another surprise is that Google’s calculator also handles conversions.
It knows miles and meters, furlongs and light years, seconds and fortnights, and even angstroms and Smoots—and can convert from one unit of measurement to another.

The key to using the Google calculator as a converter is to express your query using the proper syntax. In essence, you want to start with the first measure, followed by the word "in," followed by the second unit of measure. A general query looks like this: /*/x/*/** firstunits in secondunits**.

For example, to find out how many feet equal a meter, enter the query
**1 meter in feet**. Not sure how many teaspoons are in a cup? Enter **1 cup in teaspoons**.  Want to convert 100 U.S. dollars into Euros? Then enter **100 usd in euros**. And so on and so forth.

Google Is a Dictionary

Want to look up the definition of a particular word, but don’t want to bother pulling out the old hardcover dictionary? Not sure of a specific spelling? Then use Google as an online dictionary to look up any word you can think of. It’s easy—and there are two ways to do it.

The first approach to looking up definitions is to use a ´All you have to do is enter the keywords **what is** in your query, followed by the word in question. (No question mark is necessary.) For example, to look up the definition of the word "defenestrate," enter **what is defenestrate**.

When you use a "what is" search, Google returns a standard search results page (typically with several useful definition links in the list), as well as a definition section at the top of the page. This section includes a short definition of the word and two useful links.

The first link, disguised as the result title, is actually a link to other definitions of the word on the web. The second link, Definition in Context, displays an example of the word used in a sentence.

Google Is a Glossary

Even more definitions are available when you use the Google Glossary feature. Google Glossary is what Google calls it, anyway; really, it’s just another advanced search operator that produces some very specific results.

The operator in question is **define:**. Use this operator before the word you want defined, with no spaces between. So, for example, if you want to define the word "defenestrate," enter the query **define:defenestrate**.

When your query includes the **define:** operator, Google displays a special definitions page. This page includes all the definitions for the word that Google found on the web; click a link to view the full definition.

And here’s something else to know. If you want to define a phrase, use the **define:** operator but put the phrase in quotation marks. For example, to define the phrase "peer to peer", enter the query **define:"peer to peer"**

Google Lists All the Facts

When you’re looking for hard facts, Google might be able to help. Yes, Google always returns a list of sites that match your specific query, but if you phrase your query correctly—and are searching for a fact that Google has pre-identified—you can get the precise information you need at the top of the search results page.

What types of information are we talking about? Fact-based information, such as birthdates, birthplaces, population, and so on. All you have to do is enter a query that states the fact you want to know. For example:

· To find the population of San Francisco, enter **population san Francisco**.

· To find where Mark Twain was born, enter **birthplace mark twain**.

· To find when President Bill Clinton was born, enter **birthday bill clinton**.

· To find when Raymond Chandler died, enter **die raymond chandler**.

· To find who is the president of Germany, enter **president germany**.

The answers to these questions are displayed at the top of your search results page. You get the precise answer to your question, according to the referenced website. Click the associated link to learn more from this source