In C language, arithmetic operators are used to perform basic mathematical operations on variables and values. These operators work with both integer and floating-point numbers. Here are the basic arithmetic operators in C:

List of Arithmetic Operators

1. Addition (+):

   • Adds two operands.
   • Example:

     int a = 10, b = 5;
     int result = a + b; // result is 15
     

2. Subtraction (-):

   • Subtracts the second operand from the first.
   • Example:

     int a = 10, b = 5;
     int result = a - b; // result is 5
     

3. Multiplication (*):

   • Multiplies two operands.
   • Example:

     int a = 10, b = 5;
     int result = a * b; // result is 50
     

4. Division (/):

   • Divides the first operand by the second.
   • Example:

     int a = 10, b = 5;
     int result = a / b; // result is 2
     

   • Note: When dividing two integers, the result is also an integer, and any fractional part is discarded.

5. Modulus (%):

   • Returns the remainder of the division of two integers.
   • Example:

     int a = 10, b = 3;
     int result = a % b; // result is 1
     

   • The modulus operator can only be used with integer operands.

Important Points

• Division with Floats: When using the division operator with floating-point numbers, it yields a floating-point result:

  float a = 10.0, b = 4.0;
  float result = a / b; // result is 2.5
  

• Operator Precedence: Arithmetic operators follow the standard precedence rules (e.g., multiplication and division are evaluated before addition and subtraction unless parentheses are used).

  int result = 10 + 5 * 2; // result is 20, as multiplication happens before addition
  int result2 = (10 + 5) * 2; // result is 30, due to parentheses
  

Example Program

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int a = 15, b = 4;
    printf("Addition: %d\n", a + b);       // 19
    printf("Subtraction: %d\n", a - b);    // 11
    printf("Multiplication: %d\n", a * b); // 60
    printf("Division: %d\n", a / b);       // 3 (integer division)
    printf("Modulus: %d\n", a % b);        // 3
    return 0;
}

In this example, different arithmetic operations are performed and printed on the console.

Summary

• Addition (+): Adds two numbers.
• Subtraction (-): Subtracts the second number from the first.
• Multiplication (*): Multiplies two numbers.
• Division (/): Divides the first number by the second.
• Modulus (%): Finds the remainder after division.

These operators are fundamental in performing calculations in C programs.