Difference Between Google and Wolfram Alpha

Google vs Wolfram Alpha
There are many ways to find information and solutions to problems in the internet. The most common method today is by using a search engine like Google. Google searches web pages for words that you have entered and decides which ones are must suited for your search entry. It would then provide you with a set of links to pages, based on relevance, which may contain the data you need. Another method is done by Wolfram Alpha, which is not a search engine but a computational engine that tries to make sense of your entry and provides you an answer to the best of its abilities. It does not directly link you to other web pages based on keywords, but provides a little sidebar with what it thinks is related to your search.

Looking at the results page of both Google and Wolfram Alpha, you can immediately see that there is a significant difference between the two. Where Google places links along with a few excerpts of where the keywords can be found, Wolfram Alpha presents a possible answer to what you are looking for. For example, if you search for ‘height of atmosphere’ in both sites, the answers are very different. Google would give you links where it found the words ‘height’ and ‘atmosphere’ and you need to find what you need there. Wolfram Alpha, on the other hand, understands that you want to know how high the atmosphere is and gives you 1000km, which is the exact height of the atmosphere along with conversion to other units.

The feature of Wolfram Alpha that distinguishes it the most from Google is its capability to provide mathematical answers to any computation or mathematical formula that you enter. Though it can answer simple arithmetic equations, its power shines with algebra and calculus where it takes mathematical formulas and even mathematical questions in words and give you an answer. It can even provide you with plots and graphs of your geometric formulas along with multiple related information that it deems helpful to you. This capability is beyond what Google offers and can be very helpful to students.

Summary:
1. Google is a search engine while Wolfram Alpha is a computational engine
2. Google doesn’t answer questions but provides links to information in other sites while Wolfram Alpha would try to answer your question then provide links
3. Google takes your keywords at face value while Wolfram Alpha tries to understand what you wrote
4. Wolfram Alpha can answer mathematical equations which Google cannot

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