How to Use Scientific Calculator

This wikiHow teaches you the basics of using a scientific calculator. Scientific calculators are indispensable tools in advanced Math programs such as Algebra, Trigonometry and Geometry.

Table of Contents

Basic knowledge

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Locate the important features. There are various features on the calculator required for subjects like Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, and so on. Look for the following features on your computer:

**Basic Features** ^{[1] X Research Source}
Symbol	Feature
+	Add
–	Subtract (not negative sign)
x	Multiply (There is usually another `x` node for variables)
÷	Divide
^	Exponential
y ^x	y power x
or Sqrt	Square root
e ^x	Exponential
sine	sine function
sin ^-1	Inverse sine function
cos	The cos . function
cos ^-1	The inverse cos function
tan	tan function
tan ^-1	The inverse tangent function
ln	Logarithm base `e`
log	Logarithm base 10
(-) or neg	Representing negative numbers
()	Parentheses indicate the order of operations
π	Insert pi
Mode	Convert between degrees and radians

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Get familiar with the extra functions. Most common functions have their own function node (e.g. SIN node), while some are less commonly used (e.g. square root √) or inverse (e.g. SIN-1) ) will be listed above the others.

Some computers use the “Shift” button instead of the “2ND” button.
In many cases, the color of the “Shift” or “2ND” button will be the same as the color of the sub-function name.

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Always close the opened parenthesis. Every time you enter a left parenthesis, you must close it with a right parenthesis; similarly, if you enter a total of five left parentheses, you will have to close with five right parentheses.

This step is very important when entering large problems, because if you miss even one parenthesis, the result of the equation will be far different from the correct answer.

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Convert between degrees and radians. You can switch between displaying the value in degrees (as a fraction of 360) or radians (as a decimal number with pi as a base) by pressing the MODE button, using the arrow buttons to select RADIANS or DEGREES , then press the ENTER button.

This step is very important when doing Trigonometric problems. If you notice that your equation returns decimals instead of degrees (or vice versa), you need to change this setting.

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Learn how to save and restore. Saving results for later reuse is a necessary skill when solving complex math problems. Here are some different ways to store and use information:

Use the Answer function to recall the final result displayed on the computer screen for the entered equation or expression. For example, if you just typed 2^4 , type -10 and press the ENTER button to continue subtracting 10 from the previous result.
Press STO when the desired result is received, press ALPHA , select the letter then press ENTER . You can then use the selected letter in place of the stored value. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Clear screen. If you need to exit a menu or delete some lines of unused data from the computer screen, press the CLEAR button located near the top of the numeric keypad.

You can also press the 2ND or Shift button and then press any key that says “QUIT” above it (in most cases, this is the MODE button).

Practice functions

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Try calculating a simple square root. Practice to figure out the order of buttons with a simple math problem. For example, calculate the square root of 9; You probably already know the answer will be 3, so this is a good trick to apply during the test if you forget the order of the buttons to press:

Find the square root symbol (√).
Press the square root button directly or the SHIFT or 2ND sub-function key and then press the button denoted by the square root.
Press 9
Press ENTER to get the results.

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Calculate the power of a number. In most cases, you’ll proceed by entering the first number, pressing the ( ^ ) button, and entering the exponent of the power.

For example, to calculate 2 ² , you need to type 2^2 and then press ENTER .
To make sure that the order of numbers is correct, you can try to check with simple math 2 ³ . If the result is also 8 then you have hit the correct order. If the result is 9 , you must have pressed 3 ² .

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Practice with trigonometric functions. When using the SIN, COS, or TAN functions, there are two things to consider: the order of keys to press and when to use radians or degrees.

Practice a SIN calculation with an easy to remember result. For example, the sine of a 30° angle is 0.5.
On a scientific calculator, to find the sine of a 30-degree angle, you type 30 and then press sin. The calculator will return a result of 0.5. If you get different results, the computer is most likely in a mode other than degrees. To reset to the degree display setting, you need to find the DRG button. When you press the DRG button repeatedly, the on-screen mode will switch between degrees, radians and gradients. Press the DRG button until the degree or DEG is displayed on the viewing screen, then enter 30 and then press the sin button to output 0.5.

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Practice entering long equations. Things get a little more complicated when you start entering long equations into the scientific calculator. You need to consider the order of input and use the () often. To practice, try entering the following equation into the calculator: 3^4/(3+(25/3+4*(-(1^2)))))

You need to be careful about the number of parentheses to keep the formula intact. To use the calculator effectively, pairs of parentheses must be placed appropriately.

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Go through the complex features in the MATH menu. In addition to operations like SIN, square root, inverse of powers, and pi, which are often represented directly by nodes or extra functions, you can learn more advanced features (e.g. factorial) in the MATH menu. To use the MATH menu, do:

Press the MATH button.
Use the up and down arrow buttons to scroll up and down the list of equations.
Use the left and right arrow buttons to scroll left or right in the different categories.
Press ENTER to select the equation, and then type the number or formula that you want to apply to the equation.
Press ENTER to perform the entire calculation.

Represent the equation graphically

Be aware that not all scientific calculators can represent graphs. If your current calculator doesn’t have a Y= button, you won’t be able to use it to graph the “y=mx+b” (or similar) equation. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

You can consult your computer’s manual to determine whether the machine supports graphing. If so, you’ll find a Y= button near the top of the numeric keypad.

Press the “Y=” button. This button is usually located above the computer’s numeric keypad. A list of Y values (e.g. “Y1”, “Y2”, etc.) representing different graphs will appear.

Enter the equation. Enter the given equation (eg: 3x+4 ) and then press ENTER . The equation will appear to the right of the value “Y1”.

For the X part of the equation, you need to press the X,T,Θ,n (or similar) buttons.

Press GRAPH . This button is usually located above the computer’s numeric keypad.

See results. The graph will appear on the screen immediately. You will see the curve and the overall position of the graph.

You can view each point of the graph by pressing the TABLE button (or pressing Shift / 2ND and then pressing GRAPH ), then scrolling through the results table.

Advice

Every scientific calculator is laid out differently, so it’s a good idea to take some time to familiarize yourself with where the functions are located. If you can’t find a specific function you know your computer has, look through the manual.

Warning

Older scientific calculators (e.g. those that do not allow input or graph representation) may not contain some advanced functions such as the MATH menu.

Steps

Basic knowledge

Practice functions

Represent the equation graphically

Advice

Warning

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