Scientific Calculator
Type an expression on the keypad and press =. The keys cover sin, cos and tan in degrees or radians, ln, log, eˣ, square root, x², xʸ, n!, π and e, and EE enters scientific notation. There are brackets, a remainder key and four memory keys too. The calculator rounds each result to 10 decimal places, so sin(30) in degrees shows 0.5 and 0.1 + 0.2 shows 0.3. A result under 0.00000000005 shows as 0, unless the expression uses EE or eˣ.
How to use the Scientific Calculator
- Check the angle mode. The calculator starts in degrees. Press the DEG key on the keypad, or RAD above the display, to switch to radians. The key shows the mode in use.
- Type the expression in the order you would write it. A function key opens its own bracket, so sin(30) is the keys sin, 3, 0 and ).
- Close every bracket you opened, then press =. The display shows the expression and its result.
- Press an operator to carry on with the result, or a number to start a new calculation. ⌫ removes the last key. After a result or a message it brings the expression back, so you can correct it. C clears the display.
- Use the memory keys to keep a number. M+ adds the result of what is on the display to memory and M− subtracts it. MR puts the stored number into the expression. MC sets memory to 0.
What the keys do
Order of operations: 1. ( ) and the functions sin, cos, tan, ln, log, eˣ, √ 2. x² and n! 3. xʸ 4. × ÷ mod 5. + -
log is base 10 and ln is base e. eˣ opens its own bracket, so eˣ, 2, ) is e^(2) and shows 7.3890560989. EE puts a power of ten on the number before it and makes one number of the two, so 1 ÷ 2 EE 3 is 1 ÷ 2000 = 0.0005. x² squares the value before it. n! is the factorial of the value before it, for whole numbers from 0 to 170. xʸ raises to a power and groups from the right, so 2 xʸ 3 xʸ 2 is 2^9 = 512. A leading minus applies after the power, so -3² is -9. mod gives the remainder of a division and keeps the sign of the first number, so 10 mod 3 is 1 and -7 mod 3 is -1. The number before mod must be between -9,007,199,254,740,991 and 9,007,199,254,740,991. Outside that range the calculator cannot store every whole number exactly, so it shows a message instead of a wrong remainder. The calculator multiplies two values typed next to each other, so 2π is 2 × π and 2(3 + 4) is 14. Where an expression has no value, the calculator says why instead of printing a number. It does that for division by zero, tan at 90° or 270°, the square root of a negative number, ln or log of 0 or less, a factorial outside 0 to 170, an unbalanced bracket and a result above about 1.8 × 10^308.
Worked example
Calculate sin(30°) × log(1000) + e². Leave the mode on DEG and press sin, 3, 0, ), ×, log, 1, 0, 0, 0, ), +, e, xʸ, 2 and =. The display shows sin(30) × log(1000) + e^2 = and the result 8.8890560989. The parts are sin(30°) = 0.5, log(1000) = 3 and e² = 7.3890560989, and 0.5 × 3 + 7.3890560989 = 8.8890560989.
Frequently asked questions
Does the scientific calculator work in degrees or radians?
Both. It starts in degrees. Press the DEG key on the keypad or RAD above the display to switch. In degrees sin(30) is 0.5. In radians the same keys give -0.9880316241, because 30 radians is a different angle.
Why does tan(90) show a message and no number?
The tangent has no value at 90°, at 270° and at every further 180°. The calculator shows "tan is undefined at this angle." there. In radian mode it does the same for tan(π ÷ 2).
What is the order of operations?
Brackets and functions come first, then x² and n!, then powers, then multiplication, division and mod from left to right, then addition and subtraction. 2 + 3 × 4 is 14, and (2 + 3) × 4 is 20.
How do the memory keys work?
M+ works out what is on the display and adds it to memory. M− subtracts it. MR puts the stored number into the expression you are typing, and MC sets memory back to 0. A line above the display shows the stored number unless it is 0. C clears the display and leaves memory alone.
How large a factorial can it show?
Up to 170!, which is about 7.26 × 10^306. 171! is larger than any number the calculator can hold, so it shows a message. n! needs a whole number, so 2.5! shows the same message.
Is there a percent key?
No. The keypad has no % key, and mod is the remainder of a division. Type a percentage as a multiplication: 15% of 80 is 80 × 15 ÷ 100, which gives 12.
How many digits can it hold?
Numbers are stored as 64-bit floats, which keep about 15 to 17 significant digits. 9007199254740993 therefore shows as 9007199254740992. A result with a fraction prints at most 15 significant digits, so (0.1 + 0.2) × 1000000 shows 300000. With EE or eˣ in the expression, a subtraction that nearly cancels keeps only the digits its two numbers held. At the small end, the 10-decimal rounding means 1 ÷ 10^11 shows as 0.
How do I enter scientific notation?
Use the EE key. 2.5 × 10^6 is the keys 2, ., 5, EE, 6 and = and gives 2500000. The display writes it as 2.5E6, with a capital E, because e on this keypad is the constant. For a negative power press - after EE: 5, EE, -, 7 and = gives 5e-7. An expression with EE or eˣ keeps the digits of a tiny result, so 6.626, EE, -, 34 and = shows 6.626e-34. Without them a result still rounds to 10 decimals, so 1 ÷ 10^11 shows 0. A value too small for any float gets a message. Results from 10^21 upward and under 0.000001 appear in e notation, so 10^21 shows as 1e+21.
What is the difference between EE and the e key?
EE means times ten to the power of. The e key is the constant 2.7182818285, and eˣ raises it to a power. 2 EE 3 is 2000, 2 e is 2 × e = 5.4365636569, and eˣ, 3, ) is 20.0855369232. eˣ undoes ln, so ln(eˣ(5)) is 5.