Why is the number 0 on the keypad to the right of the number 9?

When using the computer keyboard or the smartphone's alphanumeric input screen, we see the numeric input keys are usually arranged in the order of "1234567890". But have you ever wondered, why 1 through 9 is sorted in ascending order, but 0, which is a number less than 1, is to the right of 9, at the end of the sequence. Along find out the article below to get the answer.

Why is the number 0 on the keypad to the right of the number 9? Picture 1

The reason for this arrangement lies in the development history of the keyboard. Many of the first typewriter keyboards are based on the Sholes and Glidden series of typewriters. They only have numbers 2 through 9. To make the numbers 1 and 0, the typist needs to use the capital letters "I" and "O" in combination with the Shift key.

Over time, some typewriters have added a 0 key but still don't have a 1. The zero key is placed after 9, because logically it looks better than putting a 0 before 2. When the number 1 is added to the keyboard, the position in front of the number 2 is the only place left without changing the overall layout of the keyboard.

Another explanation is also agreed by many people. It is the numbering on the keypad that can be designed based on a classic telephone dial system.

Why is the number 0 on the keypad to the right of the number 9? Picture 2

On rotary phones in many countries, dial "1" will cause the current to interrupt 1 time in a short time, dial "2" the current will interrupt twice. And "0" is the current interrupt 10 times. So the numbers on the rotating dial are arranged as "1234567890" according to the number of revolutions from 1 to 10.

In addition, another explanation that many people agree with is that when entering a string with a few digits, such as 10 or 100, placing the first 0 in the sequence will be annoying for the user.

Jessica Tanner

Update 04 May 2021