how to get infinity in calculator

Can You Actually “Get Infinity” on a Calculator?

Short answer: you can make many calculators display something like Infinity, but you cannot create true mathematical infinity as a finite stored number. Most calculators and calculator apps have limited memory and fixed number ranges. When your expression goes beyond those limits—or when you divide by zero—the device may show:

• Infinity or ∞
• -Infinity or -∞
• Error, Math Error, or Undefined

Quick Ways to Make a Calculator Show Infinity

1) Divide a positive number by zero

Enter 1 ÷ 0. On many devices this attempts to approach positive infinity. Some apps show Infinity. Others show Error.

2) Divide a negative number by zero

Enter -1 ÷ 0. If infinity is shown, it is usually -Infinity.

3) Raise numbers to huge powers

Try 10 ^ 1000 on a scientific calculator or phone app. Values can overflow the numeric range and return Infinity or a range error.

4) Use very large factorials

Factorial grows extremely fast. For many floating-point systems, 171! is already too large and may overflow to Infinity.

Why Some Calculators Show Error Instead of Infinity

Different calculators follow different rules:

• Basic calculators: often show just Error for divide-by-zero.
• Scientific calculators: may show Math Error, Overflow, or special notation.
• Computer/phone apps: many use IEEE floating-point behavior and can display Infinity directly.

So if your friend gets ∞ but your device gives Error, both can still be “correct” for that calculator implementation.

Step-by-Step by Device Type

iPhone Calculator (or similar modern app)

• Open Calculator app.
• Rotate to scientific mode (if available).
• Enter 1, then ÷, then 0, then =.
• If not shown, try 10 ^ 1000 in scientific mode.

Android Calculator Apps

• Open the calculator and switch to advanced/scientific mode.
• Test 1 ÷ 0, then test a huge exponent.
• Depending on app, you may see Infinity, Undefined, or Error.

Casio/TI/Scientific Handhelds

• Try 1 ÷ 0 first.
• Then test overflow using a power function.
• If you only see Math ERROR, that is expected behavior for many models.

Important Math Notes

• Division by zero is undefined in strict arithmetic. Infinity is often a limit concept, not a normal number result.
• 0 ÷ 0 is not infinity—it is indeterminate/undefined.
• Infinity is not the biggest number. It represents unbounded growth, not a finite value you can store exactly.

Copy/Paste Infinity Symbol

If you only need the symbol for notes or homework comments, use: ∞

Negative infinity is: -∞

FAQ

Is Infinity the same as an overflow error?

Not exactly. Overflow means a value exceeded the calculator’s representable range. Some systems report that overflow as Infinity, others just show Error.

Why does tan(90°) sometimes look like infinity?

In trigonometry, tan(x) grows without bound near 90° (in degree mode). On digital calculators, rounding and finite precision give very large values or errors rather than perfect infinity.

Can I do arithmetic with Infinity on a calculator?

Some software calculators allow limited operations with Infinity. But many handheld calculators do not support full symbolic infinity arithmetic.

Bottom Line

If your goal is to make a calculator display infinity, the fastest methods are division by zero and overflow with huge values. If your calculator shows Error instead, that is normal and model-dependent. Use the interactive calculator above to test both behaviors and understand what your result means mathematically.