Scientific Calculator
Trig, logs, powers, roots of any degree, factorials and combinations (with full keyboard support).
2nd swaps each function row to its inverse.
Just need the four rules? Use the basic calculator
This is a full scientific calculator: trigonometry, logarithms, powers, roots, factorials and combinations, with π and e built in.
It follows the proper order of operations, so 2 + 3 × 4 gives 14 rather than 20, and the 2nd key switches each function row to its inverse.
What makes a calculator scientific?
A scientific calculator adds the functions a basic one leaves out: trigonometry, logarithms, powers, roots, factorials and combinations, plus the constants π and e.
The other real difference is that it follows the order of operations. Type 2 + 3 × 4 into a basic calculator and many will answer 20, because they work left to right as you type. A scientific calculator answers 14, because multiplication is done before addition.
That is why exams specify a scientific model. It is not about extra buttons so much as the machine reading an expression the way mathematics is actually written.
What to enter
- 2nd
- Swaps each function row for its inverse. sin becomes sin⁻¹, ln becomes eˣ. It is how one key does two jobs.
- DEG / RAD
- Which unit the trig functions use. Degrees for geometry and everyday angles, radians for calculus. This one setting causes more wrong answers than anything else on the keypad.
- ^ and √
- Powers and roots. 2^10 gives 1024. For other roots, put the index first: 3√8 is the cube root of 8.
- nCr and nPr
- Combinations and permutations. Use nCr when order does not matter, like a lottery draw, and nPr when it does, like finishing positions in a race.
- EXP
- Enters a power of ten for scientific notation. 5 EXP 8 means 5 × 10⁸.
Basic, scientific, graphing: what each is for
- Basic
- The four operations, percent and memory. Shopping, splitting a bill, checking a receipt. Many process keys in the order pressed rather than by precedence.
- Scientific
- Adds trig, logs, powers, roots and statistics, and respects the order of operations. The standard requirement for school science and most engineering exams.
- Graphing
- Everything a scientific has, plus it draws functions on a screen and solves visually. Usually restricted or banned in exams, because it can store notes.
- Financial
- A different branch entirely: keys for interest, payments and terms rather than trig. That work is better done on a purpose-built tool like the loan calculator.
What this assumes
The display shows the mode in use. Check it before any trig calculation.
Answers are shown to the precision of standard floating-point arithmetic, so a result may end in a long string of decimals where the exact answer is a round number.
How to calculate with a scientific calculator
The order of operations is the one rule worth knowing, because it explains most surprising answers.
- Brackets
- Anything inside them happens first
- Powers
- Includes roots, which are powers in disguise
- Left to right
- Between operations of equal rank
Use brackets when unsure. They cost nothing and remove all ambiguity. (2+3)×4 can only mean one thing.
Check DEG or RAD before trig. sin(30) is 0.5 in degrees but −0.988 in radians. Same keys, completely different answer.
Put the index before the root. For a cube root, type 3 then the root key then 8.
See a worked example: why 2 + 3 × 4 is 14, not 20
- Expression
- 2 + 3 × 4
Multiplication ranks above addition, so 3 × 4 happens first, giving 12.
Then add the 2: 12 + 2 = 14.
A calculator that answers 20 has added 2 + 3 first, then multiplied by 4. That is working in typing order, not mathematical order.
To genuinely mean 20, you would have to write (2 + 3) × 4.
14
Frequently asked questions
Use DEG for geometry, triangles, bearings and anything measured in ordinary degrees. Use RAD for calculus and most physics.
This is the most common cause of a wrong trig answer. If sin(30) gives you −0.988 instead of 0.5, you are in radians.
It switches each function key to its inverse for one press. sin becomes sin⁻¹, log becomes 10ˣ, and so on.
It exists so one key covers two functions without doubling the size of the keypad.
nCr is combinations, where order does not matter. Picking 6 lottery numbers is nCr, because drawing 1-2-3 is the same as 3-2-1.
nPr is permutations, where order does matter. First, second and third place in a race is nPr, because a different order is a different outcome. nPr is always the larger number.
The number was too long for the display, so it switched to scientific notation. 2.5E12 means 2.5 × 10¹², or 2,500,000,000,000.
A negative exponent like 3E-7 means a very small number, 0.0000003, not a negative one.
Because calculators store numbers in binary, and 0.1 has no exact binary form, in the same way ⅓ has no exact decimal form.
The error is around one part in ten thousand billion, so it never matters in practice. It only becomes visible if you subtract two nearly equal numbers.
Usually yes, and often it is required. Graphing calculators are the ones commonly restricted, because they can store text and notes.
Exam boards publish approved lists, so check yours rather than assuming, especially for professional qualifications.
Results are estimates for general information only and are not professional financial, medical, or legal advice. Read our full disclaimer.
Last updated: September 3, 2026