Scientific Calculator

Enter a calculation the way you would write it on paper, then press the equals key. The display shows the expression as you build it, and the small line above it keeps the last calculation so you can check what was evaluated. Pressing a number after a result starts a new calculation, while pressing an operator carries the result forward, so 12 × 3 = followed by + 4 = gives 40.

Function keys such as sin, log and √ insert the function name and an opening parenthesis. Type the argument and close the parenthesis, or simply press equals: an unclosed parenthesis at the end of an expression is closed for you. Keys that act on the value just entered, like x², x³, n!, % and 1/x, are applied as postfix operators to the number or bracket directly before them.

You can also type. Digits, the four operators, the caret for powers, parentheses, the exclamation mark and the percent sign all work from a keyboard. Enter evaluates, Backspace deletes the last entry and Escape clears everything.

The calculator follows the standard precedence rules taught in algebra. Expressions in parentheses are evaluated first, then powers and roots, then multiplication and division from left to right, and finally addition and subtraction from left to right. Powers group from the right, so 2^3^2 means 2^(3^2) = 512 rather than 8^2 = 64.

A leading minus sign applies after the power, which matches written mathematics: −3² is −9, while (−3)² is 9. Multiplication can be implied by writing two quantities side by side, so 2π, 3(4 + 1) and 2sin(30) all multiply. When in doubt, add parentheses; they never change a correct answer and they make your intent explicit.

• Parentheses: ( )
• Postfix operations: x², x³, n!, %, 1/x
• Powers and roots: xʸ, ʸ√x (right to left)
• Sign: a leading − or +
• Multiplication and division: × ÷ (left to right)
• Addition and subtraction: + − (left to right)

Trigonometric keys interpret angles in the unit selected with the Deg/Rad switch. In degree mode a full turn is 360, so sin(30) is 0.5 and cos(90) is exactly 0. In radian mode a full turn is 2π, so sin(π/6) gives 0.5. The inverse functions sin⁻¹, cos⁻¹ and tan⁻¹ return an angle in the same unit.

Radians are the natural unit for calculus and most physics formulas, while degrees are more common in surveying, navigation and everyday geometry. To convert by hand, multiply degrees by π/180 to get radians, or multiply radians by 180/π to get degrees. Tangent is undefined at 90°, 270° and every odd multiple of 90°, and the calculator reports an error there rather than an enormous number.

Beyond the four basic operations the keypad offers the most common functions of a handheld scientific calculator. ln is the natural logarithm (base e) and log is the common logarithm (base 10). eˣ and 10ˣ are their inverses. EXP enters a power of ten, so 6.02 EXP 23 means 6.02 × 10²³. Ans recalls the last result, RND inserts a random number between 0 and 1, and the memory keys M+, M− and MR add to, subtract from and recall a stored value.

Results are shown with up to 15 significant digits, which removes the tiny binary rounding errors that floating-point arithmetic produces (0.1 + 0.2 is displayed as 0.3). Very large or very small results switch to scientific notation. Factorials of whole numbers are exact up to 170!, the largest that fits in double precision; non-integer factorials use the gamma function.

Frequently asked questions