Jatex’s Weblog

Google is hands down the best search engine.  Not only does it bring the best search results, it can also do a myriad of other things that others can’t.  Below are 5 search features that could be of use to college students:

1. Calculator

Well, you should be able to compute simple calculations on your own, like 25 plus 40, but if it’s a complicated math problem then it’s time to use Google’s calculator feature.

Here are some examples:

• (8*12)-(21/4+2)
• cube root of 21
• 6^5 or 6**5
• sin(pi/3)

You can find a list of shortcuts from this site.

2. Unit Conversion

Here are some examples:

• 85 tons in kg
• 25 liters in gallons
• 10 teaspoons to pint
• 30 celsius in fahrenheit

Once you are familiar with the different operators on Google’s hidden calculator, you can try more complicated ones like knowing your weight in the moon.

• (G*mass of the moon*100 pounds/(radius of the moon)^2) to pounds force

3. Dictionary Definition

There are two ways for Google to help you know the definition of a word. The first one, is by putting a space between define and the word you are looking for, i.e. define cooperative, define exhilarating. This will yield to several pages that define that word, and then you choose which page you want as a resource.

There are some instances though that some pages in the search results don’t really define the word, but just have those two keywords on the page. Thus, using the other shortcut is better wherein you get a list of definitions from various online resources. You can do this by putting a colon, instead of a space, between define and the word, i.e. define:cooperative.

4. Spell Checker

5. Fill in the Blank

Google will fill in the blank for you. Just type an asterisk (*) after the phrase you want Google to complete.

Here are some examples:

• telephone is invented by *
• Columbus discovered *
• Einstein is famous for *