How does a modulo operation work when the first number is smaller?

modulo
Pete picture Pete · Oct 8, 2009 · Viewed 52.3k times · Source

I'm messing with the modulo operation in python and I understand that it will spit back what the remainder is.

But what if the first number is smaller than the second?

for instance

2 % 5 the answer is 2.

How does that work?

2/5 = .4

Answer

jrhicks picture jrhicks · Oct 8, 2009

Does this help

22  % 5 = 2 
17  % 5 = 2 
12  % 5 = 2 
7   % 5 = 2 
2   % 5 = 2

Maybe this

22 / 5 = 4 + 2/5
17 / 5 = 3 + 2/5
12 / 5 = 2 + 2/5
7  / 5 = 1 + 2/5
2  / 5 = 0 + 2/5

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