📖 View Step-by-Step Bead Positioning Guide (Optional)▼
To show 96 on a soroban, read the rods from left to right: the millions column is clear with no active beads; the hundred-thousands column is set to zero; the ten-thousands column has no beads moved to the beam; the thousands column remains empty on this column; the hundreds column is clear with no active beads; the tens column shows 9 with the upper bead active and 4 lower beads pushed up; the ones column shows 6 with the upper bead active and 1 lower bead pushed up.
- Step 1. Start from a cleared soroban with every upper bead away from the beam and every lower bead resting at the bottom.
- Step 2. Adjust the millions column to 0. the millions column is clear with no active beads.
- Step 3. Configure the hundred-thousands rod for 0. That means the hundred-thousands column is set to zero.
- Step 4. On the ten-thousands column, show 0. In practice, the ten-thousands column has no beads moved to the beam.
- Step 5. Set the thousands column for 0. Here, the thousands column remains empty on this column.
- Step 6. Adjust the hundreds column to 0. the hundreds column is clear with no active beads.
- Step 7. Adjust the tens column to 9. the tens column shows 9 with the upper bead active and 4 lower beads pushed up.
- Step 8. Adjust the ones column to 6. the ones column shows 6 with the upper bead active and 1 lower bead pushed up.
- Step 9. Once every column is set, the soroban should read 96 across the full frame.