How to Use the Scientific Calculator

Enter numbers and mathematical operations using the on-screen buttons or your keyboard. Complex calculations can be entered as complete expressions using brackets and scientific functions.

The calculator supports:

• Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division;
• parentheses and multi-step expressions;
• powers and exponents;
• squares and square roots;
• cube roots;
• trigonometric functions;
• inverse trigonometric functions;
• base-10 logarithms;
• natural logarithms;
• factorials;
• reciprocals;
• absolute values;
• percentage calculations;
• scientific notation;
• π and e constants;
• memory functions;
• calculation history; and
• degree and radian angle modes.

What Is a Scientific Calculator?

A scientific calculator extends standard arithmetic by providing functions commonly used in mathematics, science, engineering, education and technical calculations.

In addition to basic calculations, scientific calculators usually include powers, roots, logarithms, trigonometric functions and mathematical constants.

Basic Arithmetic Operations

The calculator supports the four basic arithmetic operations:

Brackets can be used to control the order in which calculations are performed.

Order of Operations

Mathematical expressions follow the standard order of operations.

A commonly used rule is:

For example:

How to Use Brackets

Brackets allow part of an expression to be evaluated first.

For example:

Without brackets:

How to Calculate Powers

A power shows how many times a number is multiplied by itself.

For example:

For other powers, use the xʸ button.

For example:

Square Root Calculator

The square root of a number is a value that, when multiplied by itself, produces the original number.

because:

Cube Root Calculator

The cube root of a number is a value that produces the original number when multiplied by itself three times.

because:

What Is a Reciprocal?

The reciprocal of a non-zero number is:

For example:

Scientific Calculator Trigonometry

The calculator includes:

• sin — sine;
• cos — cosine;
• tan — tangent;
• sin⁻¹ — inverse sine;
• cos⁻¹ — inverse cosine; and
• tan⁻¹ — inverse tangent.

Degrees vs Radians

Trigonometric calculations can use either degrees or radians.

Use DEG for angles measured in degrees and RAD for angles measured in radians.

For example:

and:

What Is Pi?

Pi, represented by the symbol π, is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.

Approximately:

Pi appears throughout geometry, trigonometry, physics and engineering.

What Is Euler’s Number?

Euler’s number, represented by e, is approximately:

It is commonly used in exponential growth, logarithms, finance, probability and calculus.

How to Use Logarithms

The log function calculates the base-10 logarithm.

For example:

because:

Natural Logarithm Calculator

The natural logarithm uses Euler’s number e as its base.

Natural logarithms are widely used in mathematics, science, engineering, statistics and finance.

What Is a Factorial?

The factorial of a non-negative integer multiplies the number by every positive integer below it.

For example:

By definition:

Scientific Notation Calculator

Scientific notation is useful for very large or very small numbers.

For example:

The EXP button can be used to enter powers of ten efficiently.

How to Calculate Percentages

The percentage function converts a number into one hundredth of its value.

For more percentage-specific calculations, use the Percentage Calculator.

Absolute Value Calculator

The absolute value represents a number’s distance from zero regardless of direction.

and:

Memory Functions

The calculator includes four common memory controls:

• MC — clears calculator memory;
• MR — recalls the stored value;
• M+ — adds the displayed answer to memory; and
• M− — subtracts the displayed answer from memory.

Using Calculation History

Recent successful calculations are displayed beside the calculator. Click a history item to place its answer back into the calculator for another calculation.

Scientific Calculator Keyboard Shortcuts

Common Scientific Calculator Examples

Example 1: Square Root

Example 2: Power

Example 3: Trigonometry

Example 4: Logarithm

Example 5: Factorial

Who Can Use This Scientific Calculator?

This calculator can be useful for:

• High-school students;
• university students;
• teachers;
• engineers;
• technicians;
• science students;
• finance calculations;
• everyday maths; and
• general problem solving.

Scientific Calculator Assumptions

This calculator assumes:

• Standard mathematical order of operations;
• trigonometric functions use the selected DEG or RAD mode;
• factorials apply to non-negative whole numbers;
• division by zero is undefined;
• real-number square roots require non-negative inputs;
• logarithms require valid positive real-number inputs;
• displayed results may be rounded;
• very large values can exceed normal JavaScript numerical precision; and
• results are intended for general mathematical use.

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