Scientific Calculator

Full scientific calculator — trig (degrees), logs, powers, roots and constants.

Enter your values and press Calculate.

Results are estimates for planning purposes and are not financial, medical, or professional advice.

How to Use the Scientific Calculator

This scientific calculator handles everything a basic calculator cannot: trigonometry, logarithms, exponents, roots, and constants like pi. Type an expression directly or click the buttons, and it evaluates the full expression following the correct order of operations.

  1. Type your expression using the on-screen buttons or your keyboard, for example 2^8 plus sqrt(144).
  2. Use parentheses to group parts of the expression, such as (3 plus 4) times 5.
  3. For trig functions, remember angles are always in degrees — there is no radian mode — so convert radian values to degrees first.
  4. Press equals to evaluate; use backspace to fix a typo, or C to start again.

Scientific Calculator Formula

The calculator follows the order of operations: parentheses first, then exponents and roots, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction. Trigonometric functions use the ratios from right triangles: sine equals opposite over hypotenuse, cosine equals adjacent over hypotenuse, and tangent equals opposite over adjacent. The log button computes base-10 logarithms (log(1000) equals 3), while ln computes natural logarithms with base e, about 2.71828 (ln(e) equals 1). The ^ button raises a base to any power. The √ button gives square roots; type cbrt for cube roots, so cbrt(27) equals 3, or use a fractional power: 32^(1/5) equals 2.

Example Calculation

Evaluate 2^8 plus the square root of 144 times sin(30 degrees). Work inside out: 2^8 equals 256. The square root of 144 equals 12. The sine of 30 degrees equals 0.5. Multiply 12 by 0.5 to get 6, then add 256 to get 262. Type 2^8+sqrt(144)*sin(30) into the calculator and it returns 262, handling the order of operations for you.

Scientific calculator functions guide
Scientific calculator functions guide
Degrees vs radians explained
Degrees vs radians explained

Working in Radians and Using Inverse Trig Functions

Angles here are always degrees; there is no radian mode. Convert radians first by multiplying by 57.3 (180/pi): sin(57.3) is about 0.84, the sine of 1 radian. Type asin, acos, and atan for inverse trig, with results in degrees — asin(0.5) equals 30. Note that tan(90) returns a huge number, not an error: the tangent at exactly 90 degrees is undefined.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this calculator use degrees or radians?

Degrees only; there is no mode switch. Sin, cos, and tan read angles in degrees, and asin, acos, and atan return degrees. For radian problems, multiply by 57.3 (180/pi) first.

What is the correct order of operations?

Parentheses, exponents, multiplication and division from left to right, then addition and subtraction from left to right. A helpful memory aid is the phrase Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.

How do I calculate logarithms?

Press log for base-10 logarithms, for example log(1000) equals 3. Press ln for natural logarithms, for example ln(e) equals 1.

How do I enter very large or very small numbers?

Build them with the ^ key: 3*10^6 gives 3,000,000, and 4.2*10^-6 gives 0.0000042 — the same scientific notation an EXP key enters elsewhere.

Can it handle nested parentheses?

Yes. You can nest parentheses as deeply as you need, for example ((2 plus 3) times (4 minus 1)) divided by 5, and the calculator resolves the innermost pair first.

How do I calculate a cube root or another root?

Type cbrt(27) for a cube root and get 3. For other roots, use a fractional power: 32^(1/5) equals 2.

Related Calculators

Try our Percentage Calculator, Pythagorean Theorem Calculator, and Scientific Notation Converter for more math tools.

Scroll to Top