# Photo Math Solver — full page summaries > The answer-first block and the full FAQ from every page on photomathsolver.app, generated from > the same content records the pages render from. The index with one line per page is at > https://photomathsolver.app/llms.txt. Math is written as LaTeX between $ signs, exactly as the pages typeset it. ## Photo Math for Computer: Solve Math in Your Browser https://photomathsolver.app/en/photo-math-for-computer Photo Math Solver does photo-based math solving on a computer: it installs as a Chrome or Edge extension and reads problems directly off your screen. You drag a box around the problem wherever it appears — a PDF worksheet, a Canvas quiz, a lecture slide, or a photo of your handwritten homework opened in a tab — and the step-by-step solution appears in a sidebar beside it. It runs in a desktop browser rather than on a phone, so it fits the work that already happens at a computer — PDFs, online quizzes, slides, and files you open in a tab. **Can I use photo math on a computer without a phone?** Yes. Photo Math Solver installs as a Chrome or Edge extension and reads problems directly from your screen, so no phone or camera is involved. You select the region of the page containing the problem and the steps appear in a sidebar next to it. **Can it solve a photo of my handwritten homework?** Yes. Photograph or scan the page, open the image in a browser tab — dragging the file in from your desktop is enough — and select the problem as you would anything else on screen. Clear handwriting reads reliably; very cramped or faint writing is harder, as it is for any solver. **Does it work on PDFs, textbooks and online quizzes?** Yes. Anything rendered in a browser tab works: PDF worksheets, questions inside Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard or Google Classroom, images embedded in Google Docs, and lecture slides. Local files count too — drag a PDF, image or EPUB into a tab and solve on the page, after turning on Allow access to file URLs once in the extension’s Details page. **Does it work on a school Chromebook?** Yes, and Chromebooks are one of the cases it fits best. ChromeOS runs the same extension as desktop Chrome, and on a managed school device a Chrome Web Store extension is often the only kind of software a student can install. Some school administrators block extension installs entirely, which is a policy set by the school rather than a limitation of the extension. **Which browsers and operating systems does it support?** Any Chromium-based desktop browser — Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and Arc — on Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS. There is no Safari or Firefox version at the moment, and no mobile version. **Does it only do maths?** No. The box you drag does not care what is inside it — physics, chemistry, biology, economics, history, languages, a chart in a lecture PDF. Maths is what most people install it for, and it is not the limit of what it explains. **What do the plans look like?** Current plans and what each one includes are on the homepage, which is the one place they are kept up to date. **Is there a website where I upload a photo instead?** There is no upload form on this site — the extension works on your screen instead, which is fewer steps once it is installed. Open the photo in a browser tab and select the problem; there is nothing to upload, wait for, or download back. **How is this different from Photomath?** Photomath is a mobile app built around a phone camera; Photo Math Solver is a desktop browser extension built around your screen. If you are working at a computer — PDFs, online quizzes, slides, or a photo you have opened in a tab — the extension keeps the problem and the working on one screen. The two are unrelated products from unrelated companies. --- ## Photo Math for Chromebook: Solve Math Without a Phone https://photomathsolver.app/en/photo-math-for-chromebook Photo Math Solver brings photo-based math solving to a Chromebook as a Chrome extension that reads problems straight off the screen. Press Alt+C or click the extension, drag a box around a problem in any Chrome tab — a Google Classroom assignment, a Drive PDF, a quiz — and the method and every step appear in a side panel next to it. It works on what Chrome can show, so a PDF has to be open in a Chrome tab rather than the Gallery app. **Is there a Photomath app for Chromebook?** Photomath is built for iOS and Android phones and has no Chrome OS app or browser version. Photo Math Solver is a separate product that does photo-based math solving inside Chrome: you drag a box around a problem on the screen and get the steps in a side panel. **How do I get a math solver on my school Chromebook?** Open the Photo Math Solver page in the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome. If your school allows extensions, it installs straight away. If the school manages extensions, the store may say it is blocked, or offer a request option that sends the request to your school’s admin. **Why can’t I add extensions on my school Chromebook?** Your school controls extensions from the Google Admin console. It can allow all of them, allow a list, or block them and let students request specific ones. A blocked install is the school’s setting, so the request button or your teacher is the route. **Does it work on PDFs on a Chromebook?** Yes, once the PDF is open in Chrome. PDFs from Google Drive and Classroom already are. Downloaded PDFs open in the Gallery app by default: right-click the file in Files, choose Open file, Change default, View. For files saved on the Chromebook, also turn on Allow access to file URLs in the extension’s Details page. **What is the keyboard shortcut?** Alt+C starts a capture on the current tab. You can change it at chrome://extensions/shortcuts. **Does it work in Google Classroom and Canvas?** Yes. Both run in Chrome tabs, so any question, image or attached PDF you can see there can be captured with a box. **Can it solve a paper worksheet?** Yes, once the worksheet is on screen. Take a photo with your phone, send it to Google Drive or yourself, open it in a Chrome tab, and drag a box around the problem. **Does it only do maths?** No. It reads whatever is inside the box, so physics, chemistry, biology and economics questions work the same way. Maths is what most people install it for. --- ## PDF Math Solver: Solve Problems Straight From a PDF https://photomathsolver.app/en/pdf-math-solver Photo Math Solver is a PDF math solver that works inside Chrome’s PDF viewer, as a browser extension rather than an upload site. Open the PDF in a Chrome tab, drag a box around a problem, and the method and each step appear in a side panel while the page stays in view. It solves what is inside the box, one problem or a few at a time, rather than taking the whole file at once. **Can I solve math problems from a PDF?** Yes. Open the PDF in Chrome, press Alt+C, and drag a box around the problem. Photo Math Solver reads it from the page and shows the method and every step in a side panel next to the PDF. **Do I need to upload my PDF?** No. The extension reads the problem from the PDF you already have open, so there is no upload, no file size limit and no waiting for a file to process. **Does it work on scanned PDFs?** Yes. It reads the page as an image, so a scanned worksheet with no selectable text works the same as a digital PDF. The clearer the scan looks on screen, the better it reads; zooming in on small print helps. **Why doesn’t it work on a PDF saved on my computer?** Chrome blocks every extension from local files by default. Open chrome://extensions, choose Details under Photo Math Solver, turn on Allow access to file URLs, and reload the PDF tab. **Can it solve every problem in the PDF at once?** It solves what is inside the box you draw: one problem, or several if they fit on screen together. For a long worksheet, work down the page one box at a time, which also keeps each answer next to its question. **Does it work on PDFs in Google Drive, Classroom or Canvas?** Yes. Those open in the browser, so any page you can see can be captured with a box, with no setting to change. **Does it work on handwritten notes saved as PDF?** Yes, if the handwriting is clear. A scan or photo of handwritten work, saved as a PDF or image and opened in Chrome, is read the same way as print. **Is it only for maths?** No. Physics, chemistry, biology and economics problems in a PDF work the same way. It explains whatever is inside the box. --- ## Screenshot Math Solver: Snip Any Problem, Get the Steps https://photomathsolver.app/en/screenshot-math-solver Photo Math Solver is a screenshot math solver built into Chrome as an extension, so taking the screenshot and solving it are a single step. Press Alt+C, drag a box around a problem on the current tab, and the AI reads the selection and streams the method, each step and the answer into a side panel beside the page. It captures what is inside the browser, so a problem in a desktop app has to be opened in a tab first. **How do I solve a math problem from a screenshot?** Install Photo Math Solver, press Alt+C on the tab with the problem, and drag a box around it. The extension takes the screenshot and solves it in one step, with the method and every step shown in a side panel. **Is there a free screenshot math solver?** Photo Math Solver is free to install, and you can solve problems from screenshots every day without paying. A paid plan removes the daily limit. **Is there a screenshot math solver extension for Chrome?** Yes. Photo Math Solver is a Chrome extension that also runs in Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and Arc. It adds a screenshot shortcut, Alt+C, and a side panel where the solution appears. **Can I upload a screenshot I already took?** Open the image in a Chrome tab, by dragging the file into the browser, and drag a box around the problem. For files on your computer, turn on Allow access to file URLs in the extension’s Details page first. **Does it work on word problems and diagrams?** Yes. Put the whole question in the box, including any diagram, graph or table it refers to, and the solver reads them together. **Can I screenshot more than one problem at once?** Yes, if they fit in one box. For clearer answers, one or two problems per screenshot works best. **Why can’t I take a screenshot on some tabs?** Chrome blocks extensions on its own pages, such as settings, new tab and the Chrome Web Store. Switch to the tab with your problem and press Alt+C there. **Is it only for maths?** No. Physics, chemistry, biology and economics questions work the same way. It explains whatever is inside the box. --- ## Photo Math Solver vs the Alternatives (2026) https://photomathsolver.app/en/vs Photo Math Solver is a Chrome and Edge extension that explains whatever you drag a box around on your screen — an equation, a diagram, a chemistry question, a passage of history — step by step, in the tab you are already in. The comparisons here set it beside the six study tools people most often weigh it against — Mathway, Gauth, Question.AI, Symbolab, Wolfram|Alpha and ChatGPT — on what each one is built for and how each one takes a problem in. It runs in a desktop Chromium browser, which is where online coursework, PDFs and course pages already live. **What is the best study tool for working on a computer?** A browser extension removes the most steps, because the problem is already on the screen and there is no second device or second tab involved. Symbolab, Question.AI and Photo Math Solver all work this way; Mathway and Wolfram|Alpha are sites you go to, and Gauth and Photomath are built around a phone camera. **Which of these work on subjects other than maths?** Photo Math Solver, Gauth, Question.AI and ChatGPT all handle any subject. Mathway, Symbolab, Wolfram|Alpha and Photomath are built around mathematics, and Wolfram|Alpha reaches much further into computation across the sciences. **Which study tools have a graphing calculator?** Symbolab, Mathway and Wolfram|Alpha all plot functions, and it is a large part of why each of them works as a single tool for a whole maths course. **Do these tools work on a school Chromebook?** Usually. Chrome Web Store extensions are often the only software a student can install on a managed device, and every website here works in the browser. Some districts block extension installs, in which case the website-based tools are the ones that work. **Do any of them work on a phone?** Mathway, Gauth, Question.AI, Symbolab, Wolfram|Alpha, ChatGPT and Photomath all have mobile apps. Photo Math Solver runs in the desktop browser, which is where online coursework, PDFs and course pages already are. **How is Photo Math Solver different from Photomath?** Photomath is built around a phone camera pointed at homework on paper. Photo Math Solver is a browser extension for work that is already on a screen, and it covers every subject rather than mathematics alone. **Can I use more than one?** Yes. They are separate products and none of them conflict. A common setup is one tool for problems on paper and one for the ones already open in a browser. **Which one should I start with?** Whichever tool you are using now — the comparison for it sets the two out side by side, so you can see which shape fits how you actually study. --- ## Photo Math Solver vs Mathway (2026 Comparison) https://photomathsolver.app/en/vs/mathway Photo Math Solver is a browser extension that reads a problem straight off the tab you already have open — a PDF, an online assignment, a lecture slide — and explains it a step at a time. You drag a box around the question, and the method comes back named and typeset, one line per step, at a depth you turn up when you are lost and down when you are only checking yourself. It works in a desktop Chromium browser, on any subject that shows up on the screen rather than mathematics alone. **Does Mathway have a Chrome extension?** Mathway itself publishes a website and mobile apps rather than a browser extension; the extensions listed under the name are third-party helpers for moving screenshots into mathway.com. Photo Math Solver is an extension, so the working appears over the page you are already on. **What is the difference between Photo Math Solver and Mathway?** Mathway is a destination: you bring the problem to the site or the app, choose a calculator and work there. Photo Math Solver is an extension: you drag a box around the problem where it already is, in any subject, and read the method beside it. **Can Mathway solve from a photo?** Yes. Both the Mathway website and its mobile apps accept a photo of a problem, so nothing here depends on the idea that Mathway makes you retype anything. **Does Photo Math Solver work outside mathematics?** Yes. Physics, chemistry, biology, economics, history, languages — anything that can appear on your screen. It reads what is inside the box you drag and explains it step by step. **Who owns Mathway?** Mathway is owned by Chegg, which is why it sits alongside a much wider set of study products. **Is Photo Math Solver a good Mathway alternative?** It is, if your homework is already on a computer screen and you want one tool that handles every subject on it. It installs from the Chrome Web Store and works in whatever tab you have open. **Which is better for algebra and calculus homework?** Both handle standard coursework in both. Mathway gives you a calculator built around the specific operation; Photo Math Solver takes whatever you have selected and explains the method it used on it. **Does either work on a Chromebook?** Yes. Photo Math Solver installs from the Chrome Web Store and runs in ChromeOS, and mathway.com works in any browser. **Does it work on my course pages and PDFs?** Yes. It works over whatever the tab is showing — a learning management system, a PDF opened in the browser, an embedded image, a scanned worksheet — because it reads the region of the screen you select rather than the underlying text. **Does Photo Math Solver work offline?** No. The explanation is generated when you snip, so it needs a connection, the same way mathway.com does. --- ## Photo Math Solver vs Gauth (2026 Comparison) https://photomathsolver.app/en/vs/gauth Photo Math Solver is a browser extension for homework that is already on a screen: draw a box around a question and it lays out the method, not only the answer. Every school subject is in scope, because what it reads is the region you selected — an equation, a labelled diagram, a source extract, a chart in a set of slides. It lives in a desktop Chromium browser, so it is the tool for coursework you do at a computer rather than on paper. **What is the difference between Photo Math Solver and Gauth?** Gauth is a phone app built around the camera: photograph the page and get the homework explained. Photo Math Solver is a browser extension: drag a box around the question where it already is on screen, and read the method beside it. **Does Gauth have a Chrome extension?** Gauth offers a browser extension alongside its apps, so you can send a screenshot to it from a desktop. The apps are where most of its use happens, and the camera is the way in that its own material leads with. **Who owns Gauth?** Gauth is made by ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, which is part of why it reached a very large audience quickly. **Does Photo Math Solver cover subjects other than maths?** Yes. Physics, chemistry, biology, economics, history, languages — anything that can appear on your screen. It reads what is inside the box you drag and explains it step by step. **Which is better for maths specifically?** Both answer standard coursework. Photo Math Solver renders the working as typeset notation with one step per line and lets you change how much detail each step carries, which is aimed at following the method rather than only reading the result. **Does Gauth work on a computer?** Yes, through its website and its browser extension. It was designed around the phone first, and that shows in how the two products feel to use. **Is Photo Math Solver a good Gauth alternative?** It is, if your homework is on a computer screen rather than on paper. It installs from the Chrome Web Store and works in whatever tab you have open. **Does it work on my course pages and PDFs?** Yes. It works over whatever the tab is showing — a learning management system, a PDF opened in the browser, an embedded image, a scanned worksheet — because it reads the region of the screen you select rather than the underlying text. **Does it work on a Chromebook?** Yes. Photo Math Solver installs from the Chrome Web Store and runs in ChromeOS the same way it runs in Chrome on Windows, macOS or Linux. **Can I use both?** Yes. They are separate products and do not conflict — the app for problems on paper, the extension for the ones already on screen. --- ## Photo Math Solver vs Question.AI (2026 Comparison) https://photomathsolver.app/en/vs/question-ai Photo Math Solver is a browser extension that turns anything you select on screen into a worked explanation — the method named, each step on its own line, in plain language. You drag a box around a question in the tab you are reading it in, and change how much detail each step carries as you go. It handles every subject that appears on screen, and runs in a desktop Chromium browser. **What is the difference between Photo Math Solver and Question.AI?** Question.AI is a broad study assistant: it answers, writes, translates and summarises, in a sidebar and on a phone. Photo Math Solver does one thing — it explains whatever you drag a box around, step by step, with the depth under your control. **Does Question.AI have a Chrome extension?** Yes, an official sidebar extension that answers from a screenshot, and it is well reviewed. Photo Math Solver works the same way and returns the method rather than the finished answer. **Who owns Question.AI?** Question.AI is made by Zuoyebang, one of the largest education technology companies in China. **Is Question.AI the same as QuestionAI or Question AI?** Yes — the same product, written different ways. The company styles it Question.AI. **Does Photo Math Solver cover subjects other than maths?** Yes. Physics, chemistry, biology, economics, history, languages — anything that can appear on your screen. It reads what is inside the box you drag and explains it step by step. **Which is better for maths specifically?** Both answer standard coursework. Photo Math Solver renders the working as typeset notation with one step per line and lets you change how much detail each step carries, which is aimed at following the method rather than only reading the result. **Can Question.AI solve maths from a photo?** Yes, from a photo in the app or a screenshot in the sidebar. Both products read a problem from an image; the difference is what comes back. **Is Photo Math Solver a good Question.AI alternative?** It is, if what you want from a study tool is the working rather than the finished piece. It installs from the Chrome Web Store and works in whatever tab you have open. **Does it work on my course pages and PDFs?** Yes. It works over whatever the tab is showing — a learning management system, a PDF opened in the browser, an embedded image, a scanned worksheet — because it reads the region of the screen you select rather than the underlying text. **Can I use both?** Yes. They are separate extensions and do not conflict. --- ## Photo Math Solver vs Symbolab (2026 Comparison) https://photomathsolver.app/en/vs/symbolab Photo Math Solver is a browser extension that explains whatever you drag a box around — an equation, a diagram, a chemistry question, a paragraph of history — step by step, in the tab you are already in. You select the part of the screen you are stuck on, and the method comes back named and typeset, one step per line, at a depth you can turn up when you are lost and down when you are only checking yourself. It runs in a desktop Chromium browser, which is where the coursework, the PDFs and the course pages already are. **Does Symbolab have a Chrome extension?** Yes. Symbolab publishes an official extension that snips a problem off a web page and shows the solution in a side panel. Photo Math Solver works the same way, and extends it to subjects beyond mathematics. **What is the difference between Photo Math Solver and Symbolab?** Symbolab is a mathematics platform you go to for a course: named solvers, a graphing calculator, a notebook and a practice library. Photo Math Solver is one extension that explains whatever you drag a box around, in any subject, on the page you are already reading. **Does Photo Math Solver work outside mathematics?** Yes. Physics, chemistry, biology, economics, history, languages — anything that can appear on your screen. It reads what is inside the box you drag and explains it step by step, the same way it handles an equation. **Does Symbolab show step-by-step working?** Yes, and it names the method as it goes. Photo Math Solver does the same, and adds a control for how much detail each step carries, so the same problem can be four lines or a full walkthrough. **Does Symbolab have a graphing calculator?** Yes, a full one, and it is a large part of why Symbolab works as a single tool for a whole mathematics course. **Is Photo Math Solver a good Symbolab alternative?** It is, if what you want is one thing that explains whatever is on your screen without switching tools by subject. It installs from the Chrome Web Store and works in whatever tab you already have open. **Which one is better for calculus or linear algebra?** Both handle standard coursework in both. Symbolab gives you a solver built around the specific operation; Photo Math Solver takes whatever you have selected and explains the method it used on it. **Who makes Symbolab?** Symbolab is part of Learneo, the company behind Course Hero, which is why it has grown into a full study platform rather than a single calculator. **Does it work on a Chromebook?** Yes. Photo Math Solver installs from the Chrome Web Store and runs in ChromeOS the same way it runs in Chrome on Windows, macOS or Linux. **Does it work on my course pages and PDFs?** Yes. It works over whatever the tab is showing — a learning management system, a PDF opened in the browser, an embedded image, a scanned worksheet — because it reads the region of the screen you select rather than the underlying text. --- ## Photo Math Solver vs Wolfram|Alpha (2026) https://photomathsolver.app/en/vs/wolfram-alpha Photo Math Solver is a browser extension that answers a problem exactly as it appears on your screen, without any part of it being retyped into an input box. Because it reads the region of the screen you select, a stacked fraction or a matrix never has to be restated in typed notation before it can be answered. It runs in a desktop Chromium browser and covers any subject that turns up there, from a chemistry question to a passage of a history source. **Does Wolfram Alpha have a Chrome extension?** Wolfram publishes its website, its mobile apps and its developer APIs rather than a browser extension, so on a desktop you work through the query box. Photo Math Solver is an extension, so the working appears over the page you are already on. **What is the difference between Photo Math Solver and Wolfram|Alpha?** Wolfram|Alpha computes an answer to a question you state in its input box, across an enormous knowledge base. Photo Math Solver reads a question off the screen you are already looking at, in any subject, and explains the method step by step. **Can Wolfram Alpha read a photo of a maths problem?** Its mobile apps accept an image. On a desktop the experience is built around the query box, which is the difference this comparison turns on. **Does Wolfram Alpha show step-by-step solutions?** Yes, as part of its paid tier, and they are thorough. Photo Math Solver shows the working too, with a control for how much detail each step carries. **Which is better for calculus homework?** Both handle standard calculus. Wolfram|Alpha goes considerably further into symbolic and computational territory; Photo Math Solver is quicker on a problem that is already open in front of you and explains the route it took. **Does Photo Math Solver work outside mathematics?** Yes. Physics, chemistry, biology, economics, history, languages — anything that can appear on your screen. It reads what is inside the box you drag and explains it step by step. **Is Photo Math Solver a Wolfram Alpha alternative?** For coursework you are doing at a computer, yes — it removes the retyping and keeps everything on one screen. Wolfram|Alpha remains the tool for computation that goes beyond a course. **Does it work on a Chromebook?** Yes. Photo Math Solver installs from the Chrome Web Store and runs in ChromeOS, and wolframalpha.com works in any browser. **Does it work on my course pages and PDFs?** Yes. It works over whatever the tab is showing — a learning management system, a PDF opened in the browser, an embedded image, a scanned worksheet — because it reads the region of the screen you select rather than the underlying text. **Can I use both?** Yes, and it is a sensible pairing: the sidebar for the routine problems already open in front of you, Wolfram|Alpha for the one that needs real computational weight. --- ## Photo Math Solver vs ChatGPT for Homework (2026) https://photomathsolver.app/en/vs/chatgpt Photo Math Solver is a browser extension that explains one selected problem at a time, in the tab where you found it, without anything being pasted anywhere. Where a chat assistant takes a screenshot of a whole page and answers it in a conversation, this takes one problem at a time and returns the method named, typeset, one step per line, at a depth you control. It runs in a desktop Chromium browser and handles any subject on screen — one question per snip, rather than a page at a time. **Can ChatGPT solve maths homework from a screenshot?** Yes. You can paste an image of a problem into the chat and it will work through it. The difference is the container: you switch to the chat tab, paste, and describe what you want, where an extension reads the question where it already is. **What is the difference between Photo Math Solver and ChatGPT?** ChatGPT is a general assistant in a chat window, good at almost anything you can describe. Photo Math Solver is a browser extension that explains one thing you drag a box around, on the page you are already reading, with the method laid out step by step. **Is ChatGPT good for maths?** It handles standard coursework and will explain its reasoning if you ask it to. Photo Math Solver returns the method in a fixed layout — named, typeset, one step per line — without you having to ask for it that way. **Why use an extension instead of pasting into a chat?** Mostly the number of moves. Pasting means switching tab, taking a screenshot, uploading it, writing the request, waiting, then scrolling back to the part you needed. Dragging a box around the question is two moves and keeps the assignment on screen. **Does Photo Math Solver work on subjects other than maths?** Yes. Physics, chemistry, biology, economics, history, languages — anything that can appear on your screen. It reads what is inside the box you drag and explains it step by step. **Can I use both?** Yes, and many people do — the extension for the problems in front of them, the chat for open-ended questions and everything that is not coursework. **Does it work on my course pages and PDFs?** Yes. It works over whatever the tab is showing — a learning management system, a PDF opened in the browser, an embedded image, a scanned worksheet — because it reads the region of the screen you select rather than the underlying text. **Does it work on a Chromebook?** Yes. Photo Math Solver installs from the Chrome Web Store and runs in ChromeOS the same way it runs in Chrome on Windows, macOS or Linux. **Does it keep a history of what I solved?** It works problem by problem rather than as a running conversation. Each snip is answered on its own, next to the question that prompted it. --- ## Pre-Algebra Solver https://photomathsolver.app/en/pre-algebra Photo Math Solver covers the pre-algebra core: one-step and two-step equations, percentages, ratios, fractions and the word problems built on them. Screenshot the problem wherever it appears on your screen and the solution comes back as worked steps, naming the operation being undone at each line rather than only the final value. Once problems involve several variables at once, exponents, or factoring, they belong to Algebra rather than pre-algebra — those have their own pages with the methods that actually apply. **What grade levels is this for?** Grades 6 through 8 in most curricula — the pre-algebra year that comes before Algebra 1. It also works well for anyone brushing up on percentages and basic equations before a placement test or a return to study. **What's the difference between pre-algebra and algebra?** Pre-algebra keeps one unknown and one or two operations: solve $x + 9 = 16$, or find 20% off a price. Algebra adds variables on both sides, parentheses, quadratics, and systems of equations. If your problem has an $x^2$ in it or an $x$ on each side of the equals sign, the Algebra Solver page is the better fit. **Can it solve word problems, or only equations?** Both — and word problems are the whole point for most of pre-algebra. Tips, discounts, markups, and "how many weeks until I can afford it" questions all get translated into an equation first, with that translation shown as its own step, so you see how the sentence became math rather than just getting a number back. **How accurate are the solutions?** The extension uses AI models tuned for step-by-step math reasoning and is highly accurate on standard pre-algebra. Every intermediate step is shown, so you can follow the reasoning line by line — and it is always good practice to check the final answer on graded work. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving problems for free. Add the Chrome extension and try it on your own homework before deciding if you need anything more. **Do I have to type the problem in?** No — that is the point. Screenshot the problem wherever it appears on your screen (a PDF worksheet, an online quiz, a photographed textbook page) and the extension reads the math directly, including fractions, decimals, and percent signs. --- ## Algebra Solver https://photomathsolver.app/en/algebra Photo Math Solver handles the algebra a school or first-year course actually sets: linear equations, quadratics, systems of equations, and the word problems that turn into them. Screenshot the equation as it appears — in a PDF, a quiz, a slide — and the solution names the method it used and every step, so the working is checkable rather than just an answer. This is computational algebra, not abstract algebra: groups, rings and fields, and proof-based coursework generally, are outside what it does. **Does this cover all of algebra, or just equations?** The full range — multi-step equations, variables on both sides, quadratics, systems of equations, inequalities, exponents, radicals, and word problems. If it appears on an Algebra 1 or Algebra 2 worksheet, it is in scope. **Can it solve word problems, or only equations?** Both. Word problems are where most students get stuck, so the solver first translates the text into an equation — showing that translation as its own step — and then solves it. You see how the sentence became math, not just the final number. **What grade levels does it work for?** High-school Algebra 1 and 2 — multi-step equations, quadratics, systems, and radicals — plus college placement-test review, which sits comfortably inside that range. If you are earlier than that and working on one-step equations or percentages, the Pre-Algebra Solver covers those in the same step-by-step detail. **How accurate are the solutions?** The extension uses AI models tuned for step-by-step math reasoning and is highly accurate on standard school algebra. Every intermediate step is shown, so you can verify the reasoning line by line — and for high-stakes work it is always good practice to check the final answer. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving problems for free. Add the Chrome extension and try it on your own homework before deciding if you need anything more. **Do I have to type the problem in?** No — that is the point. Screenshot the problem wherever it appears on your screen (a PDF worksheet, an online quiz, a photographed textbook page) and the extension reads the math directly, including fractions, exponents, and radicals. --- ## Geometry Solver https://photomathsolver.app/en/geometry Photo Math Solver works through geometry problems involving lengths, angles, area, perimeter, surface area and volume, including diagrams captured straight from the page. Screenshot the figure together with its labels and the solution comes back with the theorem or formula named at each step, which is the part a bare answer leaves out. Formal two-column proofs are not what it produces: it computes and explains numeric results rather than constructing a deductive argument in the format a proof question asks for. **Can it read the diagram, or only the text of the question?** Both, and for geometry that matters more than anywhere else. Screenshot the figure together with its labels — side lengths, angle marks, the little square that marks a right angle — and the solver uses what is written on the picture as well as what is written in the sentence. **What grade levels is this for?** Roughly grades 8–10, the standard high-school geometry course. The area, perimeter and volume topics also cover middle-school work, and the similar-triangles material carries straight into trigonometry. **Does it do proofs?** It handles computational geometry — missing lengths, angles, areas, volumes, and proportion problems — with full working. Formal two-column proofs are a different kind of task; the solver will explain the theorem being applied, but the pages here focus on the calculation problems that make up most homework. **Will it get the units right?** Yes — units are part of the answer, not an afterthought. Lengths come back in the given unit, areas in square units, volumes in cubic units, and the working shows where the squaring or cubing happened. **How accurate are the solutions?** The extension uses AI models tuned for step-by-step math reasoning and is highly accurate on standard high-school geometry. Every intermediate step is shown, so you can follow the reasoning line by line — and it is always good practice to check the final answer on graded work. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving geometry problems for free. Add the Chrome extension and try it on your own homework before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Trigonometry Solver https://photomathsolver.app/en/trigonometry Photo Math Solver covers trigonometry from right-triangle ratios through identities, the laws of sines and cosines, and trigonometric equations. Screenshot the problem and the solution names which ratio, identity or law it applied and why, including the angle-interval bookkeeping that trigonometric equations depend on. Answers assume the angle mode the problem states; a question that never specifies degrees or radians is ambiguous in the source, and that is worth resolving before trusting any solver, including this one. **What grade levels is this for?** Roughly grades 10–12 — the trigonometry strand of geometry, Algebra 2, and precalculus, plus the trig chapters of A-level and IB maths. The right-triangle material starts earlier, in geometry. **Does it work in degrees and radians?** Both. Solutions follow whichever unit the question uses, and where an interval is given in radians such as $[0, 2\pi)$, every solution is returned in radians too. Mode mismatches are the most common source of wrong trig answers, so the working states which unit it is in. **Can it read a triangle diagram?** Yes — screenshot the figure with its labels and angle marks. The solver uses which side is opposite which angle to decide between SOHCAHTOA, the law of sines, and the law of cosines. **Does it find all solutions to a trig equation?** Yes. Trig equations have infinitely many solutions, and questions almost always restrict to an interval. The solution finds the reference angle, works out every quadrant where the sign matches, and lists all solutions in the required range. **How accurate are the solutions?** The extension uses AI models tuned for step-by-step math reasoning and is highly accurate on standard trigonometry. Every intermediate step is shown, so you can follow the reasoning line by line — and it is always good practice to check the final answer on graded work. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving trigonometry problems for free. Add the Chrome extension and try it on your own homework before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Calculus Solver https://photomathsolver.app/en/calculus Photo Math Solver handles the working core of a single-variable calculus course: limits including indeterminate forms, derivatives by every standard rule, and both indefinite and definite integrals. Screenshot the problem and the solution shows the same working a tutor would put on the board — which rule fires at each step and why, not just the resulting expression. Multivariable calculus, differential equations and formal epsilon-delta proofs sit outside this: it covers the first-year single-variable syllabus rather than the whole subject. **Does this cover all of calculus, or just derivatives?** The working core of a calculus course: limits (including indeterminate forms), derivatives by every standard rule, and definite and indefinite integrals including substitution and integration by parts. **What course levels does it work for?** High-school and AP Calculus (AB/BC) through first-year university calculus. The step-by-step detail is aimed at students learning the techniques, not just checking answers. **Can it read calculus notation — integrals, limits, primes, fractions?** Yes. Screenshot the problem as printed and the ∫ signs, bounds, Leibniz fractions, primes, and nested parentheses are recognized as real math, not plain text. **Does it show which rule it used at each step?** Yes — each line names the rule being applied (chain rule, u-substitution, integration by parts), so you can follow the reasoning and reproduce it on an exam. **How accurate are the solutions?** The extension uses AI models tuned for step-by-step math reasoning and is highly accurate on standard course calculus. Every intermediate step is visible, so you can verify the logic line by line — and for high-stakes work, checking the final answer is always good practice. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving calculus problems for free. Add the Chrome extension and try it on your own problem set before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## One-Step Equations Solver https://photomathsolver.app/en/pre-algebra/one-step-equations A one-step equation is solved by applying the single inverse operation to both sides: add what was subtracted, subtract what was added, multiply by what divided, divide by what multiplied. Work out which operation is currently attached to the variable, undo exactly that on both sides so the equation stays balanced, then substitute your answer back into the original to confirm both sides agree. If undoing takes two moves, or the variable appears more than once, it is not a one-step equation — those are two-step and linear equations, which follow a different order of operations. **How do I know which operation to undo?** Look at what is directly attached to the variable. "$x + 5$" shows addition, so subtract. "$5x$" shows multiplication, so divide. "$\frac{x}{5}$" shows division, so multiply. Only one operation is present in a one-step equation. **Why do I have to do the same thing to both sides?** An equation says two things are equal — a balanced scale. Changing one side only would break the equality, and the "solution" you get would no longer satisfy the original equation. **Do I always have to check my answer?** It takes five seconds and catches nearly every slip: substitute your answer back into the original equation and confirm both sides match. Photo Math Solver shows this check as its final step too. **What if the answer is a fraction or a negative number?** That is completely normal. $4x = 6$ gives $x = \frac{3}{2}$, and $x + 9 = 2$ gives $x = -7$ — an answer does not need to be a positive whole number to be right. **What grade level are one-step equations?** Typically grade 6–7 (pre-algebra). They are the foundation for two-step equations, multi-step linear equations, and everything after, so fluency here pays off for years. **Is Photo Math Solver free to use?** You can start solving equations for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own worksheet before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Two-Step Equations Solver https://photomathsolver.app/en/pre-algebra/two-step-equations A two-step equation is solved by undoing addition or subtraction first and multiplication or division second — the reverse of the order you would use to evaluate it. Strip the constant off the variable side, divide through by the coefficient, and check by substituting the result back into the original equation. This works while the variable appears exactly once; brackets to expand or a variable on both sides make it a linear equation, where terms have to be collected before any undoing starts. **Which operation do I undo first?** Addition or subtraction first, multiplication or division second — the reverse of the usual order of operations, because you are unwrapping the equation from the outside in. **What if the variable term is negative?** Solve exactly the same way, then divide by the negative coefficient at the end. Dividing an equation by a negative does not flip the equals sign — that rule only applies to inequalities. **What if the answer is not a whole number?** Fractions and decimals are perfectly valid solutions: $4x + 1 = 8$ gives $x = \frac{7}{4}$. Check it by substituting back, same as always. **How are two-step equations different from one-step equations?** One extra layer: a one-step equation has a single operation to undo, a two-step has two (a constant to clear and a coefficient to divide away). The balance rule — same move on both sides — is identical. **Can Photo Math Solver show the check step too?** Yes — solutions end by substituting the answer back into the original equation, the same verification your teacher wants to see on paper. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving two-step equations for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own worksheet before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Percentage Word Problems Solver https://photomathsolver.app/en/pre-algebra/percentage-word-problems A percentage word problem is solved by working out which of the three quantities is missing — the part, the whole, or the percent — and then applying $\text{part} = \text{percent} \times \text{whole}$. Translate the sentence into that relationship, convert the percentage to a decimal by dividing by $100$, and solve for whichever quantity the question left out. Repeated percentage change does not follow this rule: compound interest and successive discounts multiply growth factors rather than adding percentages, so applying this formula twice gives the wrong answer. **How do I tell a markup problem from a discount problem?** By the direction word: "off," "discount," "sale," and "decrease" subtract from the original; "markup," "tax," "tip," and "increase" add to it. Circle that word before you compute anything. **How do I find the original price if I only know the sale price?** Express the sale price as a fraction of the original: after 25% off, it is 75% of the original, so divide the sale price by 0.75. Never subtract the percent of the sale price — the percent was applied to the original, not the sale price. **What is the fastest way to compute a percent of a number?** Convert to a decimal and multiply: $30\%$ of $80$ is $0.3 \times 80 = 24$. For mental math, find 10% first (move the decimal) and scale: 10% of 80 is 8, so 30% is 24. **What is the difference between percent change and percentage points?** Going from 20% to 25% is a change of 5 percentage points, but a 25% relative increase ($\frac{5}{20}$). News and statistics mix these up constantly — word problems usually want the relative percent change. **Can Photo Math Solver read the whole word problem, not just numbers?** Yes — screenshot the full sentence and it translates the words into an equation as an explicit first step, so you see how "\$84 after a 40% markup" becomes $1.4p = 84$ before any arithmetic happens. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving percentage problems for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own homework before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Linear Equation Calculator — Free, With Steps https://photomathsolver.app/en/algebra/linear-equations A linear equation is solved by collecting every variable term on one side and every constant on the other, then dividing by the coefficient that remains. Expand any brackets, clear fractions by multiplying every term by the common denominator, combine like terms, and isolate the variable — doing the same thing to both sides at every step. If the variable is squared, sits under a root, or appears in a denominator, the equation is not linear and this method will not reach the answer — a squared term makes it quadratic. **What makes an equation "linear"?** The variable appears only to the first power — no $x^2$, no $\sqrt{x}$, no $\frac{1}{x}$. Its graph is always a straight line, which is where the name comes from. **What if the variable cancels out completely?** Read what remains. A true statement like $5 = 5$ means infinitely many solutions (the two sides are the same line). A false statement like $5 = -2$ means no solution (parallel lines that never meet). **Which side should I collect the variables on?** Either works, but collecting them on the side with the larger coefficient keeps the coefficient positive and avoids sign errors — from $5x - 2 = 2x + 13$, subtract $2x$ rather than $5x$. **How are linear equations different from two-step equations?** A two-step equation like $4x - 5 = 19$ is the simplest linear equation. The general case adds parentheses, fractions, and variables on both sides — more simplifying before the same final two steps. **Can Photo Math Solver handle fractions and parentheses?** Yes — it reads the equation exactly as printed, distributes and clears denominators explicitly, and labels each transformation so you can see why every line follows from the last. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving linear equations for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own homework before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Quadratic Equation Solver — Roots, Steps, Free https://photomathsolver.app/en/algebra/quadratic-equations A quadratic equation is solved by factoring when it factors cleanly, and by the quadratic formula $x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}$ when it does not. Rearrange into the form $ax^2 + bx + c = 0$, read the discriminant $b^2 - 4ac$ to see how many real roots exist, then factor, complete the square, or substitute into the formula. A negative discriminant means there are no real solutions at all, only complex ones — so if your course has not covered imaginary numbers, that result usually points to an arithmetic slip further back rather than to the answer. **What are the four ways to solve a quadratic equation?** Factoring, the quadratic formula, completing the square, and taking square roots directly (for equations like $x^2 = 49$ with no $x$ term). Graphing gives a visual estimate but is not exact. The three main algebraic methods are covered step by step above. **How do I know which method to use?** Try factoring first if the coefficients are small integers — it is the fastest when it works. If nothing factors within a few seconds, switch to the quadratic formula, which always works. Use completing the square when the problem asks for it or when you also need vertex form. **What does the discriminant actually tell you?** The discriminant $b^2 - 4ac$ predicts the roots before you solve: positive means two distinct real roots, zero means exactly one repeated root, and negative means two complex roots. It is also a quick factoring test — if it is a perfect square, the quadratic factors over the integers. **Can a quadratic equation have no solution?** It can have no real solutions — that happens when the discriminant is negative and the parabola never crosses the x-axis. But it always has exactly two solutions if you allow complex numbers, counted with multiplicity. **Does Photo Math Solver handle quadratics that do not factor?** Yes. It tries factoring first since that gives the cleanest steps, and automatically falls back to the quadratic formula when the expression does not factor over integers — including irrational and complex roots, shown with full working. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving quadratic equations for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own homework before deciding if you need anything more. **Can it read handwritten or textbook problems?** It reads anything you can screenshot on your screen: textbook pages, PDF worksheets, online quizzes, and photos of printed or clearly handwritten problems. Superscripts, fractions, and square roots are recognized as real math, not plain text. --- ## System of Equations Solver — Free, With Steps https://photomathsolver.app/en/algebra/systems-of-equations A system of linear equations is solved by substitution when one variable is already isolated, and by elimination when adding or subtracting the equations cancels a variable outright. Solve for one variable, put that expression into the other equation to get a single-variable equation, then back-substitute to find the second value and check the pair in both original equations. Not every system has one answer: two equations describing the same line have infinitely many solutions and two parallel lines have none, so "no solution" is sometimes the correct result rather than a mistake. **Should I use substitution or elimination?** Substitution when a variable is already isolated or has a coefficient of 1. Elimination when both equations are in standard form, especially if a variable already has matching or opposite coefficients. Both always give the same answer — one is just less work. **What does it mean when the variables all cancel?** Check what statement is left. If it is true, like $0 = 0$, the equations describe the same line and there are infinitely many solutions. If it is false, like $0 = 3$, the lines are parallel and there is no solution. **Why does a system need two equations?** One equation with two unknowns has infinitely many solutions — every point on a line. A second independent equation pins it down to the single point where the lines cross. In general you need one equation per unknown. **Can I solve a system with three variables?** Yes, and you need three equations. The usual approach is to eliminate one variable from two different pairs of equations, reducing it to a two-variable system, then back-substitute twice. **How do I check my answer?** Substitute the pair into both original equations. It must satisfy each one — a pair that works in only one equation is not a solution, and this check catches almost every arithmetic slip. **Can Photo Math Solver read both equations at once?** Yes — screenshot the whole system, including a brace if there is one, and the solution picks the method that suits how the equations are written, then shows every step and the final check. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving systems of equations for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own worksheet before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Pythagorean Theorem Calculator — Free, With Steps https://photomathsolver.app/en/geometry/pythagorean-theorem The Pythagorean theorem finds the third side of a right triangle from the other two: $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$, where $c$ is always the hypotenuse. Identify the hypotenuse as the side opposite the right angle, substitute the two known lengths, and take the positive square root — rearranging to $a^2 = c^2 - b^2$ when the missing side is a leg. It holds only for right triangles. In any other triangle the relationship fails, and you need the law of cosines, which reduces to this theorem when the angle happens to be $90°$. **How do I know which side is the hypotenuse?** It is the side directly opposite the right angle, and it never forms one of the right angle’s arms. It is also always the longest side, so if your answer for the hypotenuse comes out shorter than a leg, you have mixed them up. **What if the answer is not a whole number?** That is normal — most right triangles are not Pythagorean triples. Leave the answer as an exact surd like $\sqrt{74}$ unless the question asks for a decimal, and simplify where possible: $\sqrt{50} = 5\sqrt{2}$. **Does the Pythagorean theorem work on any triangle?** No — it requires a right angle. For triangles without one you need the law of cosines, $c^2 = a^2 + b^2 - 2ab\cos C$, which reduces to the Pythagorean theorem exactly when $C = 90°$ and the cosine term vanishes. **What is the converse of the Pythagorean theorem?** It runs the logic backwards: if the squares of the two shorter sides add up to the square of the longest, the triangle must be right-angled. It is how you classify a triangle from three side lengths alone. **Why is the distance formula the same thing?** Because the horizontal and vertical gaps between two points form the legs of a right triangle whose hypotenuse is the distance you want. $d = \sqrt{(\Delta x)^2 + (\Delta y)^2}$ is $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$ rearranged. **Can Photo Math Solver read the triangle diagram itself?** Yes — screenshot the figure with its labels and the right-angle mark included, and the solver uses the values written on the picture, not just the sentence underneath it. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving Pythagorean theorem problems for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own worksheet before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Area and Perimeter Calculator — Free, With Steps https://photomathsolver.app/en/geometry/area-and-perimeter Area measures the surface a shape covers and perimeter measures the distance around its edge — each shape has its own formula for both, and they are never interchangeable. Identify the shape, substitute its dimensions into the matching formula, and for a composite figure split it into rectangles and triangles, then add the areas and trace only the outside edge for the perimeter. Watch the units rather than the arithmetic: area is always in square units and perimeter in linear units, and a curved boundary needs $\pi$ and circumference rather than adding straight edges. **What is the difference between area and perimeter?** Perimeter is the distance around the outside — the fence. Area is the surface inside — the grass. Perimeter is measured in plain units, area in square units, and two shapes can share a perimeter while having very different areas. **How do I find the area of an irregular or composite shape?** Split it into standard shapes with a straight cut, find each area, then add them — or start from a bounding rectangle and subtract the missing piece. Both routes give the same answer; pick whichever needs fewer unknown lengths. **Do I use radius or diameter in the circle formula?** Radius, always. If the problem gives the diameter, halve it first. Using the diameter in $\pi r^2$ makes the area four times too large — it is the single most common circle mistake. **Should I leave $\pi$ in the answer or use 3.14?** Leave it exact as $49\pi$ unless the question asks for a decimal or specifies a value of $\pi$. Exact answers avoid rounding errors, and most mark schemes accept both. **Can I find a missing side if I know the area?** Yes — substitute into the formula and solve the equation for the unknown. If the problem relates two sides in words, such as "the length is 3 more than the width", you will end up with a quadratic to factor. **Can Photo Math Solver read the shape from a diagram?** Yes — screenshot the figure with its labels, including the dashed perpendicular height if there is one, and the solver identifies the shape and picks the matching formula before substituting. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving area and perimeter problems for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own worksheet before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Surface Area and Volume Calculator — Free, With Steps https://photomathsolver.app/en/geometry/surface-area-and-volume Surface area totals the outside faces of a solid while volume measures the space enclosed inside it, and each standard solid has its own formula for each. Identify the solid, substitute its dimensions, and for a composite shape add the volumes but subtract any faces that end up hidden where the parts meet. Scaling is the trap rather than the formulas: doubling a linear dimension multiplies surface area by four and volume by eight, so an answer that doubled along with the side length is wrong. **What is the difference between surface area and volume?** Surface area is the total area of the outside faces — the paint or wrapping needed. Volume is the space inside — what the solid would hold. Surface area is in square units, volume in cubic units. **When do I use slant height and when do I use vertical height?** Cone volume uses the vertical height $h$; cone surface area uses the slant height $l$. They are linked by $l = \sqrt{r^2 + h^2}$, so if a problem gives you one you can always find the other. **Why do cones and pyramids have a one-third in the formula?** Because a cone fits exactly three times inside the cylinder with the same base and height — and a pyramid three times inside its matching prism. It is a genuine geometric fact, provable with calculus, not an arbitrary constant. **How do I find the volume of a shape that is not in the formula list?** If it has a constant cross-section, find that cross-section’s area and multiply by the length — that covers every prism, whatever the shape of the end. If it is a composite, split it into standard solids and add the volumes. **What happens to volume when I double the dimensions?** Volume multiplies by $2^3 = 8$, while surface area multiplies by $2^2 = 4$. This scale-factor relationship is a favourite exam question and follows directly from the powers in the formulas. **Can Photo Math Solver read a 3D diagram or a net?** Yes — screenshot the solid with its labels, and the solver identifies the shape, sorts out which measurement is the radius, height, or slant, and shows the substitution. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving surface area and volume problems for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own worksheet before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Similar Triangles Calculator — Free, With Steps https://photomathsolver.app/en/geometry/similar-triangles Two triangles are similar when their corresponding angles are equal, and their corresponding sides are then in one constant ratio throughout. Establish similarity with AA, SAS or SSS, write the corresponding sides in the same order on both sides of a proportion, and cross-multiply to find the missing length. Similar is not congruent: equal angles fix the shape but say nothing about the size, so you cannot conclude that corresponding sides are equal — only that they share a scale factor. **What is the difference between similar and congruent triangles?** Congruent triangles are identical in both shape and size — a scale factor of exactly 1. Similar triangles share the shape and all their angles but may be any size. Every congruent pair is also similar; the reverse is not true. **How many angles do I need to prove similarity?** Two. If two pairs of angles match, the third must match as well since angles in a triangle sum to $180°$. That is the AA test, and it is usually the easiest to satisfy because it needs no side lengths. **How do I know which sides correspond?** Corresponding sides sit opposite equal angles. If the problem states $\triangle ABC \sim \triangle DEF$, the vertex order does the work for you: $AB$ pairs with $DE$, $BC$ with $EF$, $AC$ with $DF$. **What is the scale factor?** The number every side of one triangle is multiplied by to produce the other. A factor above 1 means an enlargement, below 1 a reduction. It is found by dividing any pair of corresponding sides. **Why do areas scale by $k^2$?** Because area is a product of two lengths, and both get multiplied by $k$. So the area is multiplied by $k \cdot k = k^2$. Volumes, being three lengths, scale by $k^3$. **How is this connected to trigonometry?** Directly. All right triangles with the same acute angle are similar, so the ratio of any two sides depends only on that angle — which is exactly what $\sin$, $\cos$ and $\tan$ record. Similarity is what makes trig ratios well-defined. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving similar triangle problems for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own worksheet before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Right Triangle Trigonometry Calculator — SOHCAHTOA https://photomathsolver.app/en/trigonometry/right-triangle-trigonometry Right-triangle trigonometry finds an unknown side or angle using SOH-CAH-TOA — sine, cosine and tangent as ratios between two sides of a right triangle. Label the sides relative to the angle you are working from, choose the ratio containing the one you know and the one you want, and use the inverse function when the unknown is the angle itself. These ratios exist only in right triangles. An oblique triangle needs the law of sines or the law of cosines, and forcing SOH-CAH-TOA onto one produces a confident wrong answer. **What does SOHCAHTOA stand for?** Sine = Opposite/Hypotenuse, Cosine = Adjacent/Hypotenuse, Tangent = Opposite/Adjacent. It is a memory hook for choosing the ratio that connects the side you know to the side you want. **How do I know which side is opposite and which is adjacent?** Always relative to the angle you are using. The hypotenuse is fixed opposite the right angle. Of the two legs, the one touching your angle is adjacent and the one across from it is opposite — and they swap if you switch to the other acute angle. **When do I use the inverse functions?** When the angle is what you are looking for. If two sides are known, form the ratio and apply $\sin^{-1}$, $\cos^{-1}$ or $\tan^{-1}$ to it. Going the other way — angle known, side wanted — uses the plain functions. **Does this work on triangles without a right angle?** No. SOHCAHTOA depends on the right angle to define the hypotenuse. For other triangles you need the law of sines or the law of cosines, which work for any triangle at all. **What is the difference between angle of elevation and angle of depression?** Elevation is measured upward from the horizontal, depression downward from it. Between the same two points they are equal (alternate angles), which is why a depression problem can be redrawn as an elevation problem at the other end. **Can Photo Math Solver read the triangle from a diagram?** Yes — screenshot the figure with its labels, angle marks, and the right-angle square. The solver works out which side is opposite the marked angle before it chooses a ratio, which is the step most answers turn on. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving right triangles for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own worksheet before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Trig Identities Solver https://photomathsolver.app/en/trigonometry/trig-identities A trigonometric identity is an equation true for every angle, used to rewrite an expression as a simpler equivalent one rather than to find a value. Start from the more complicated side, convert everything into sines and cosines, apply the Pythagorean identity $\sin^2\theta + \cos^2\theta = 1$, and keep simplifying until that side matches the other. Proving an identity is not solving an equation: you may not move terms across the equals sign, because doing so assumes the very thing you are trying to establish. **What is the difference between an identity and an equation?** An identity is true for every value of the variable, so there is nothing to solve — you use it to rewrite expressions. An equation like $\sin x = 0.5$ is true only for particular values, and the task is to find them. **Which identity should I try first?** The Pythagorean identity $\sin^2\theta + \cos^2\theta = 1$, in whichever direction helps — collapsing a squared pair to 1, or expanding a 1 into squares. Failing that, convert everything to sine and cosine and simplify from there. **Can I work on both sides of a "verify" problem?** Not by moving terms across the equals sign. You may simplify each side independently down to a common third expression and then state they are equal — but never apply the same operation to both sides, since that presumes the identity holds. **Do I have to memorise all of them?** The Pythagorean, reciprocal and quotient identities, yes — they come up constantly. The double-angle and sum formulas are worth knowing but are also derivable: every double-angle formula falls out of the sum formula with $A = B$. **When do I multiply by the conjugate?** When a denominator looks like $1 \pm \sin\theta$ or $1 \pm \cos\theta$. Multiplying top and bottom by the conjugate creates a difference of squares that the Pythagorean identity immediately simplifies. **Why do identities matter in calculus?** Because a great many integrals are unsolvable in their given form and routine after one rewrite. Turning $\sin^2 x$ into $\frac{1 - \cos 2x}{2}$, or clearing a $\sqrt{1 - x^2}$ with a trig substitution, is standard practice. **Is it free to use?** You can start simplifying and verifying trig identities for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own worksheet before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Law of Sines and Cosines Solver — Triangle Calculator, Free https://photomathsolver.app/en/trigonometry/law-of-sines-and-cosines The law of sines and the law of cosines solve triangles with no right angle — the law of sines pairs each side with its opposite angle, and the law of cosines generalises the Pythagorean theorem. Use the law of sines when you know two angles and a side (ASA or AAS), and the law of cosines when you know two sides and the included angle (SAS) or all three sides (SSS). The SSA case is genuinely ambiguous: it can produce two valid triangles, one, or none, so a calculator answer taken at face value is often only half the solution. **When do I use the law of sines versus the law of cosines?** Use the law of sines when you have a matched side–angle pair (AAS, ASA, or SSA). Use the law of cosines when you do not — that is SAS (two sides and the angle between them) and SSS (all three sides). **What is the ambiguous case?** SSA — two sides and an angle not between them. That data can describe two different triangles, one triangle, or none at all, because the inverse sine has both an acute and an obtuse solution. Always check whether $180° - B$ also gives a valid triangle. **Can I use these on a right triangle?** Yes, both work on any triangle. SOHCAHTOA is just quicker when a right angle is present. In fact the law of cosines becomes the Pythagorean theorem exactly when the angle is $90°$ and $\cos 90° = 0$. **What does a negative cosine mean?** The angle is obtuse — between $90°$ and $180°$. It is not an error; the inverse cosine handles negative inputs and returns the obtuse angle directly. This is why the cosine rule is the safe choice for finding a large angle. **Which angle should I find first with SSS?** The largest one, opposite the longest side, using the law of cosines. Once the only possible obtuse angle is pinned down, the remaining angles must be acute and the faster law of sines is safe to use for them. **How do I find the area without a height?** Use $A = \frac{1}{2}ab\sin C$ with two sides and the angle between them. If all three sides are known instead, find an angle with the law of cosines first, or use Heron’s formula. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving triangles for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own worksheet before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Trigonometric Equation Solver — Free, With Steps https://photomathsolver.app/en/trigonometry/trigonometric-equations A trigonometric equation is solved by isolating the trig function, applying the inverse to get one angle, and then adding every other angle in the required interval. Rearrange until a single trig function stands alone — factoring or substituting an identity if more than one appears — then take the inverse and use the function’s symmetry to find the remaining solutions. The inverse function returns exactly one angle, but sine and cosine repeat every $360°$ and tangent every $180°$, so a solution set without those periodic copies is incomplete rather than wrong. **Why does a trig equation have more than one solution?** Because trig functions are periodic — sine and cosine repeat every $360°$, tangent every $180°$. Any angle that works has infinitely many partners, which is why questions restrict the answer to a stated interval. **What is a reference angle?** The acute angle between the terminal side and the x-axis. It is what the inverse function gives you from the absolute value of the ratio, and every solution in every quadrant is constructed from it. **How do I know which quadrants to use?** From the sign of the ratio, using ASTC: All positive in quadrant I, Sine in II, Tangent in III, Cosine in IV. If $\sin x$ is negative, you want the two quadrants where sine is not positive — III and IV. **How do I handle $\sin 2x$ or $\cos 3x$?** Multiply the interval by the same coefficient, solve for the whole argument across that wider range, then divide each solution by the coefficient at the end. A $2x$ equation has twice as many solutions as the same equation in $x$. **Can I divide both sides by $\sin x$?** No — that throws away every solution where $\sin x = 0$. Move all terms to one side and factor instead, which keeps both branches and costs nothing. **What if the question does not give an interval?** Then it wants the general solution, written with an integer parameter: $x = 30° + 360°n$ or $x = 150° + 360°n$ for $n \in \mathbb{Z}$. For tangent the period is $180°$, so a single family covers it. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving trigonometric equations for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own worksheet before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Limits Solver https://photomathsolver.app/en/calculus/limits A limit is evaluated by direct substitution whenever that produces a number; getting $\frac{0}{0}$ means the expression needs algebraic work before the limit can be read off. Factor and cancel the common term, multiply by the conjugate when a radical is involved, or compare the leading degrees of numerator and denominator for a limit at infinity. $\frac{0}{0}$ is not an answer — it is an indeterminate form telling you substitution failed, and recording it as zero or as undefined is the most common way to lose the question outright. **What does a limit actually mean?** It is the value a function approaches as the input approaches some number — the trend, not the destination. The function need not be defined at that point, and if it is, the limit may still differ from it. **What do I do when I get $\frac{0}{0}$?** Treat it as a prompt, not an answer. Factor and cancel for polynomials, multiply by the conjugate when a radical is involved, or use L'Hôpital's rule if you have covered derivatives. Then substitute again. **When does a limit not exist?** When the two one-sided limits disagree (a jump), when the function grows without bound, or when it oscillates endlessly, as $\sin\frac{1}{x}$ does near zero. An indeterminate form on its own is not one of these cases. **How do I find a limit at infinity?** For a rational function, compare degrees. Lower on top gives 0; equal degrees give the ratio of leading coefficients; higher on top gives $\pm\infty$. To show the working, divide every term by the highest power in the denominator. **What is the difference between a limit and continuity?** A limit only asks what the function approaches. Continuity at $a$ requires three things: $f(a)$ is defined, the limit exists, and the two are equal. A removable hole has a limit but is not continuous. **Why do limits matter for the rest of calculus?** Because the two central objects are defined as limits. The derivative is the limit of $\frac{f(x+h)-f(x)}{h}$ as $h \to 0$, and the definite integral is the limit of a Riemann sum. Limits are the machinery underneath both. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving limits for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own problem set before deciding if you need anything more. --- ## Derivative Calculator — Free, With Steps https://photomathsolver.app/en/calculus/derivatives A derivative is found by applying whichever rule matches the structure of the expression: power, product, quotient, or chain. Read the expression from the outside in, identify whether it is a sum, a product, a quotient or a composition, apply the matching rule, and differentiate each inner piece in turn. The chain rule is the one that gets skipped: whenever a function sits inside another, forgetting the inner derivative produces an answer that looks entirely plausible and is wrong. **When do I need the chain rule?** Whenever one function is nested inside another — $(3x+1)^5$, $\sin(2x)$, $e^{x^2}$. Differentiate the outer function first, keep the inside untouched, then multiply by the derivative of the inner function. If the inside is plain $x$, the chain rule still technically applies but multiplies by 1, which is why you can ignore it there. **What does the derivative actually represent?** Geometrically, the slope of the tangent line to the curve at a point. Physically, an instantaneous rate of change — velocity from position, acceleration from velocity, marginal cost from total cost. **What is the difference between $f′(x)$ and $\frac{dy}{dx}$?** Nothing mathematical — they are two notations for the same derivative. $f′(x)$ (Lagrange) is compact; $\frac{dy}{dx}$ (Leibniz) makes explicit which variable you differentiate with respect to, which helps in related-rates and implicit differentiation problems. **How do I know which rule to use?** Look at the outermost structure: a sum of powers → power rule term by term; two functions multiplied → product rule; a ratio → quotient rule; something nested in something else → chain rule. Complicated functions often need two rules combined — the solver shows which rule fires at each step. **Does Photo Math Solver handle chain rule and product rule problems?** Yes — including compositions nested several layers deep and problems that combine rules, like $x^2\sin(3x)$. Each step names the rule being applied, so you can follow the reasoning rather than just copy the result. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving derivatives for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own homework before deciding if you need anything more. **Can it read the prime notation and fractions in my textbook?** Yes. Screenshot the problem as it appears — primes, Leibniz fractions, radicals, and nested parentheses are recognized as real math, not plain text. --- ## Integrals Solver https://photomathsolver.app/en/calculus/integrals An integral is found by reversing differentiation — recognising which function would differentiate to give the integrand, then adjusting for constants. Try the reverse power rule first, use $u$-substitution when the integrand contains a function and its own derivative, and integration by parts when it is a product of two unrelated functions. An indefinite integral is a whole family of functions, so omitting the $+\,C$ makes the answer incomplete — and for a definite integral the constant cancels, which is why it never appears there. **What is the difference between a definite and an indefinite integral?** An indefinite integral returns a family of functions — the general antiderivative plus $C$. A definite integral has bounds and evaluates to a single number, the net accumulated area between them. **Why do I have to add "+C"?** Because the derivative of any constant is zero, infinitely many functions share the same derivative — $x^2$, $x^2 + 5$, and $x^2 - 17$ all differentiate to $2x$. The $+C$ represents that entire family. **How do I decide between substitution and integration by parts?** Scan the integrand for a function whose derivative also appears (up to a constant) — that is a substitution problem. If it is a product of two unrelated pieces, like $x\cos x$ or $x e^x$, reach for integration by parts. **Can a definite integral be negative?** Yes. Area below the x-axis counts as negative, so a curve that dips under the axis can produce a negative or even zero total — the integral measures net accumulation, not geometric area. **Does Photo Math Solver handle definite integrals with bounds?** Yes — it reads the bounds straight from the screenshot, shows the antiderivative, and evaluates $F(b) - F(a)$ explicitly, including substitution problems where the bounds need converting. **Is it free to use?** You can start solving integrals for free by adding the Chrome extension — try it on your own homework before deciding if you need anything more.