How to use the scientific calculator
A scientific calculator goes beyond four-function arithmetic. You can evaluate mathematical expressions with parentheses, square roots, powers, trigonometric functions and logarithms in one place. Enter an expression in the input field or use the on-screen keys. Press = or Enter to calculate. The result panel shows the answer; recent calculations are listed alongside the keypad so you can revisit an expression.
For example, enter sin(30)+sqrt(16) with the calculator in DEG mode. The sine of 30 degrees is 0.5 and the square root of 16 is 4, giving a total of 4.5. In RAD mode, trigonometric input uses radians rather than degrees, so the same expression will produce a different answer.
Arithmetic and order of operations
The calculator follows the usual order of operations. Parentheses group calculations; exponents are evaluated before multiplication and division, followed by addition and subtraction. For example, 2+3*4 equals 14, whereas (2+3)*4 equals 20. You can nest parentheses to control a longer expression.
The division symbol means arithmetic division, not a fraction simplification tool. 18/6 evaluates to 3 and 7/2 evaluates to 3.5. If you need fraction arithmetic with exact simplified numerator and denominator, use the dedicated Fraction Calculator.
Powers, roots and factorials
Use ^ to raise a number to a power. Examples include 2^8 = 256, 10^3 = 1000, and 9^0.5 = 3. The on-screen x² button appends a square, while the square-root key inserts sqrt(. Write sqrt(81) to return 9. Square roots of negative numbers are not real, and the calculator reports them as invalid rather than pretending they have a real-number answer.
Factorials are useful in counting and probability. 5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 120; 0! = 1. The factorial operator requires a nonnegative integer and accepts values up to 170 to avoid overflowing ordinary floating-point numbers. Factorials of fractions and negative numbers are not included.
| Expression | Meaning | Result |
|---|---|---|
2^8 |
Two raised to the eighth power | 256 |
sqrt(144) |
Square root of 144 | 12 |
5! |
Factorial of five | 120 |
(12+8)/4 |
Parentheses before division | 5 |
log(1000) |
Base-10 logarithm | 3 |
ln(e) |
Natural logarithm of e | 1 |
Degrees versus radians
Angle units matter for trigonometric calculations. In degree mode, a full turn is 360 degrees; in radian mode, it is 2π radians. For example, sin(30) in degree mode is approximately 0.5, while sin(pi/6) in radian mode is approximately 0.5. The DEG/RAD control displays the current mode. Check it before using sine, cosine or tangent.
The sine, cosine and tangent functions accept input using parentheses: sin(45), cos(60) and tan(45). Tangent is mathematically undefined at certain angles, such as 90 degrees, and computers may display a very large finite approximation near those points because of floating-point precision. Do not interpret such outputs as physically meaningful.
Logarithms and constants
log(x) computes the base-10 logarithm. ln(x) computes the natural logarithm, whose base is the constant e. For instance, log(100) equals 2, while ln(e) equals 1. Logarithms require positive arguments. The keypad also offers π and e as mathematical constants, which are different from currency symbols and scientific-notation exponent letters.
Percentage calculations
The postfix percent operator means divide by 100. For example, 25% equals 0.25, and 200*15% equals 30. It does not automatically apply retail discount semantics to an entire expression. To calculate 15% off 200, enter 200*(1-15%), giving 170. For step-by-step discounts, sales taxes and percentage increases, use the specialized Percentage or Discount Calculator.
Precision, limits and common mistakes
Results are computed with JavaScript double-precision floating-point numbers. The displayed answer is rounded to approximately 12 significant digits. Tiny numerical differences may occur in trigonometric or logarithmic operations, especially near discontinuities. Parentheses must balance, and functions must be written with parentheses. Expressions longer than the supported input limit are rejected rather than executed as arbitrary code.
Common mistakes include confusing degrees and radians, treating ^ as multiplication, omitting a closing parenthesis, taking a logarithm of zero, or interpreting very large tangent values close to an undefined angle. This is a general-purpose educational math tool, not a symbolic equation solver or arbitrary-precision computation engine.