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Num Lock orNumber Lock (⇭) is a key on thenumeric keypad of mostcomputer keyboards. It is alock key, likeCaps Lock andScroll Lock. Its state affects the function of the numeric keypad commonly located to the right of the main keyboard and is commonly displayed by anLED built into the keyboard.
The Num Lock key exists because earlier 84-keyIBM PC keyboards did not have cursor control or arrows separate from the numeric keypad. Most earlier computer keyboards had different number keys and cursor control keys; however, to reduce cost, IBM chose to combine the two in their early PC keyboards. Num Lock would be used to select between the two functions. On somelaptop computers, the Num Lock key is used to convert part of the main keyboard to act as a (slightly skewed) numeric keypad rather than letters. On some laptop computers, the Num Lock key is absent and replaced by the use of akey combination.[1]
SinceApple keyboards never had a combination of arrow keys and numeric keypad (but some lacked arrow keys, function keys, and a numeric keypad altogether), Apple has keyboards with a separate numeric keypad but no functional Num Lock key. Keyboards manufactured by Apple will instead use aClear key but not all Apple manufactured keyboards will be provided with it.[2]
| Key on Numeric Keypad | Num Lock On | Num Lock Off |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | End |
| 2 | 2 | Down Arrow |
| 3 | 3 | Page Down |
| 4 | 4 | Left Arrow |
| 5 | 5 | does nothing (usually)[3] |
| 6 | 6 | Right Arrow |
| 7 | 7 | Home |
| 8 | 8 | Up Arrow |
| 9 | 9 | Page Up |
| 0 | 0 (zero or comma) | Insert |
| . | . (dot) or, (comma) | Delete |
| Esc | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | F6 | F7 | F8 | F9 | F10 | F11 | F12 | PrtScn/ SysRq | Scroll Lock | Pause/ Break | |||||||||
 | Insert | Home | PgUp | Num Lock | ∕ | ∗ | − | |||||||||||||||||
| Delete | End | PgDn | 7 | 8 | 9 | + | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ↑ | 1 | 2 | 3 | Enter | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ← | ↓ | → | 0 Ins | . Del | ||||||||||||||||||||
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