Scientific Calculator

This scientific calculator works like a handheld: press the keys or type an expression such as 2×sin(30)+3², then press ENTER. It handles trig in degrees or radians, logs, powers, roots and factorials, and shows each step below the screen.

Scientific Calculator

CALCULATOR GALOREScientific

Expression

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How to use the scientific calculator

Two layouts do the same maths: Standard, with every function on its own key and the number pad on the right, and Handheld, laid out like a classic graphing calculator. Switch with the tabs above the calculator; your choice is remembered. In Standard, press ⛶ to fill the screen. Press it again or press Escape to return, keeping your calculation. Press the keys, or click the screen and type. ENTER works out the line, puts it on the screen with the answer on the right, and the steps appear in the answer box below. Press ENTER on an empty line to run the last entry again. DEG and RAD, under the screen, set how angles are measured.

Key	What it does	Example
SIN COS TAN	Sine, cosine, tangent of an angle	sin(30) = 0.5 in degrees
2nd SIN, COS, TAN	Inverse: the angle with that sine, cosine or tangent	cos⁻¹(0.5) = 60°
^	Raise to a power	2^10 = 1024
x² and 2nd x² (√)	Square and square root	√(2) = 1.414213562
x⁻¹	Reciprocal (1 ÷ x)	4⁻¹ = 0.25
LOG and 2nd LOG (10ˣ)	Logarithm base 10 and its inverse	log(1000) = 3
LN and 2nd LN (eˣ)	Natural logarithm (base e ≈ 2.718) and its inverse	ln(e) = 1
EE	Times ten to the power, for scientific notation	6.02E23
(−)	Makes a number negative (the − key subtracts)	−5 + 2 = −3
π, e	The constants π ≈ 3.14159 and e ≈ 2.71828	2π = 6.283185307
x³, √, ∛	Cube, square root and cube root	∛(27) = 3
nPr, nCr	Permutations and combinations: ways to pick r things from n, in order or in any order	5nCr2 = 10
\|x\|, %, x!	Absolute value, percent and factorial	15%×80 = 12
▲ ▼, ENTRY	Bring back earlier lines to edit or run again
ON	Start fresh: clears the screen, sets Ans to 0 and goes back to degrees

A missing closing bracket at the end is filled in for you, so sin(30 works like sin(30). Writing two things side by side multiplies them: 2π, 3(4+1) and 2sin(30) all work.

Order of operations

The calculator follows the usual order, often remembered as PEMDAS or BODMAS:

Brackets first, innermost out.
Functions (sin, log, √ …), then x², x⁻¹, ! and %.
Powers (^), worked from the right: 2^3^2 is 2^9 = 512.
The negative sign: −2² is −4.
Multiplication and division, left to right.
Addition and subtraction, left to right.

2 × sin(30°) + 3² sin(30°) = 0.5 and 3² = 9 2 × 0.5 + 9 = 10

Because multiplying and dividing go left to right, 8÷2(2+2) is (8÷2)×4 = 16. If you mean 8 ÷ 8, write 8÷(2(2+2)). For everyday percentages, like a tip or a discount, the percentage calculator sets the sum out in words.

Degrees or radians?

A full turn is 360 degrees or 2π radians, so 180° = π radians. School geometry and most everyday angles use degrees; calculus and physics formulas usually expect radians. The calculator starts in degrees. If sin(30) gives −0.988 instead of 0.5, it's in radians: press DEG.

radians = degrees × π ÷ 180 degrees = radians × 180 ÷ π

Error messages

Screen shows	Meaning	Example
ERR:SYNTAX	The line can't be read: an operator with nothing after it, or a stray bracket	2+ or 5)
ERR:DOMAIN	The function doesn't accept that number	√(−4), log(0), sin⁻¹(2), tan(90°)
ERR:DIVIDE BY 0	Dividing by zero	5÷0, 0⁻¹
ERR:OVERFLOW	The answer is 10¹⁰⁰ or more	70!, 10^100

Answers are rounded to 10 significant digits, the same as most handhelds. Small floating-point leftovers are cleaned up, so 0.1+0.2 shows 0.3 and sin(180°) shows 0.

Frequently asked questions

How do I switch between degrees and radians?

Press DEG or RAD, the flat keys under the screen. The top-right corner of the screen shows which one is on. In degrees sin(90) is 1; in radians you'd enter sin(π÷2) for the same answer.

What does the 2nd key do?

It gives the next key its second function, printed in blue above it. 2nd then SIN is sin⁻¹, 2nd then x² is √, and 2nd then LOG is 10ˣ. The screen shows 2nd while it's on.

Why is −2² equal to −4 and not 4?

Powers come before the minus sign, so −2² means −(2²) = −4. To square −2, put it in brackets: (−2)² = 4.

What does ERR:DOMAIN mean?

The function can't take that number, like the square root or log of a negative number, or sin⁻¹ of 2. The line under the answer says what went wrong.

How do I enter a number like 6.02 × 10²³?

Use the EE key: 6.02E23. The E stands for “times ten to the power”. Results larger than 10 billion or smaller than 0.001 are shown this way too.

What is Ans?

The last answer. Press ANS to use it, or start a line with an operator: pressing + then 5 gives Ans+5, so you can keep a calculation going.

Scientific Calculator