Google has quietly added a nifty calculator to its search engine.

The new calculator appears after you type a search query involving an equation and allows you to perform both simple and complex calculations without navigating away from the main site. A search for “calculator” will also toggle the web-based calculator.

A compact version of the calculator is available via the mobile browser on both Android and iOS devices (hint: rotate your mobile device to the side bring up the full calculator).

Both computational knowledge engine Wolfram|Alpha and Google provide searchers with automatic answers to the mathematical equations they type into the search engine. The calculator will be a useful addition for people who want to complete multiple equations without having to navigate away from the first page of Google’s search results.

Earlier this year Google announced it had started a major upgrade to make its search engine smarter. The internet giant said it had started looking beyond query words to figure out what people are actually seeking online.

Looking to impress your friends with your math-search skills? Google revealed it had added animated 3D visualizations of certain math equations to its built-in graphics calculator via a cryptic post on Google+ in March: https://plus.google.com/u/0/116899029375914044550/posts/b8uZgM7ERTt