Table of Contents
An online scientific calculator with full function support
Use this scientific calculator for trigonometry, logarithms, exponents, factorials, and the constants π and e — everything you need for algebra, physics and statistics problems, without installing anything.
Function reference
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
+ − × ÷ | Standard arithmetic. |
sin, cos, tan | Trigonometric functions. Check whether the calculator is in degrees or radians before pressing. |
sin⁻¹, cos⁻¹, tan⁻¹ | Inverse trig (arcsin, arccos, arctan). Returns the angle whose sine/cosine/tangent is the input. |
log | Common logarithm (base 10). log(100) = 2. |
ln | Natural logarithm (base e). ln(e) = 1. |
x² / x^y | Squaring / arbitrary powers. 2^10 = 1024. |
√ / ∛ | Square root / cube root. |
n! | Factorial. Defined for non-negative integers; 5! = 120, 0! = 1. |
1/x | Reciprocal. 1/4 = 0.25. |
EE or EXP | Scientific notation entry. 6.02 EE 23 = 6.02 × 10²³. |
π | Pi, 3.14159265… the ratio of circumference to diameter. |
e | Euler’s number, 2.71828… the base of natural logarithms. |
( ) | Parentheses for explicit order of operations. |
Order of operations
The calculator follows standard PEMDAS / BODMAS rules:
- Parentheses
- Exponents (including roots)
- Multiplication and Division (left to right)
- Addition and Subtraction (left to right)
When in doubt, add parentheses. 2 + 3 × 4 is 14 (multiplication first), but (2 + 3) × 4 is 20.
Worked examples
1. Quadratic formula. Solve x² − 5x + 6 = 0 using x = (−b + √(b² − 4ac)) / 2a.
Enter: ( 5 + √ ( 25 − 24 ) ) ÷ 2 = 3. The other root, with the − sign, gives 2.
2. Compound interest. Future value of $1,000 at 5% over 10 years.
Enter: 1000 × ( 1.05 ) ^ 10 = 1,628.89.
3. Law of cosines. Find side c of a triangle with sides 5, 7 and included angle 60°.
Switch to degrees. Enter: √ ( 25 + 49 − 2 × 5 × 7 × cos(60) ) = √39 ≈ 6.24.
4. Standard deviation step. Take the square root of a variance of 4.5.
Enter: √ 4.5 = 2.121.
Scientific vs graphing vs CAS
| Type | Strengths | Typical user |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific | Trig, logs, exponents, factorials, scientific notation | High school algebra, physics, stats |
| Graphing | Scientific functions + plot y = f(x), table of values, basic programming | Calculus, AP exams, undergrad engineering |
| CAS | Graphing functions + symbolic algebra: factoring, integration, equation solving | Higher maths, research, engineering practice |
Common applications
- Algebra. Quadratic formula, exponent rules, simplifying radicals.
- Physics. Projectile motion (sin/cos), kinematics, Ohm’s law in AC circuits (impedance via Pythagoras), wave equations.
- Statistics. Z-scores, standard deviation, simple combinatorics (n!, nCr, nPr).
- Chemistry. pH = −log[H⁺]; equilibrium constants involving exponents.
- Finance. Compound interest, present/future value, loan amortisation (one period at a time).
Limitations & gotchas
- Degrees vs radians. The single biggest source of trig errors. Always check the mode before pressing sin/cos/tan.
- Floating-point precision. JavaScript uses IEEE 754 double-precision floats (about 15–17 significant digits). Tiny errors (
0.1 + 0.2 = 0.30000000000000004) are inherent, not bugs. - No symbolic algebra. The calculator returns numbers, not factored expressions or simplified radicals.
- No matrix or graphing support. For systems of equations or function plots, use a graphing calculator or software.
- Factorial overflow. 170! is about the largest factorial representable in double-precision; 171! overflows to infinity.
Sources & references
- NIST Digital Library of Mathematical Functions (DLMF) — authoritative reference for trig, log and elementary function definitions.
- IEEE 754, the floating-point standard underlying all modern calculator precision.
- Britannica, “Calculator.” Encyclopaedia Britannica.
FAQs
A scientific calculator computes single results from typed expressions — trig functions, logarithms, powers, factorials. A graphing calculator does all of that and also plots functions, solves equations symbolically (on some models) and stores programs. For most algebra, physics and statistics homework a scientific calculator is enough; calculus and engineering courses often want a graphing or CAS (computer algebra system) calculator.
Because the calculator is in radians mode, where 60 means 60 radians (about 9.5 full turns). For sin(60°) = 0.8660..., switch the calculator to degrees mode — usually a DEG / RAD toggle. The mistake is common enough that most exam guides warn about it explicitly.
It’s Euler’s number, e ≈ 2.71828. e is the base of the natural logarithm (ln) and appears throughout calculus, probability and compound interest. Don’t confuse it with ‘EE’ or ‘EXP,’ which is the scientific-notation entry key — pressing 2 EXP 5 enters 2 × 10⁵ = 200,000.
By definition. The factorial n! counts the ways to arrange n objects; there is exactly one way to arrange zero objects (the empty arrangement). The convention also makes combinatorial formulas work cleanly — for example, C(n, 0) = n! / (0! × n!) = 1, the number of ways to choose nothing from n options.
Not symbolically. It computes numerical values from expressions you type. To solve an equation like x² − 5x + 6 = 0 you have to rearrange it yourself (using the quadratic formula, factoring or another method) and then use the calculator to evaluate the result. For symbolic solving you need a CAS calculator (TI Nspire CAS, HP Prime) or software like Mathematica or SymPy.
Use the EE / EXP / ×10ⁿ key for scientific notation. 6.02 EE 23 enters Avogadro’s number, 6.02 × 10²³. 1.6 EE −19 enters the electron charge in coulombs. This is much less error-prone than typing 23 zeros.