Scientific Calculator Functions: A Practical Reference
A scientific calculator has dozens of functions, and most people use only a handful. Here are the ones I actually use beyond basic arithmetic. A scientific calculator has dozens of functions, and most people use only a handful. I was one of them for years, using my calculator for basic arithmetic and the occasional square root. After going through the manual and experimenting, I found several functions that I now use regularly. Here is a practical reference to the functions that are actually useful beyond basic math. Exponents and Roots Beyond the square root button, scientific calculators handle arbitrary exponents and roots. The exponent button, usually marked with a caret or x-to-the-n, raises a number to any power. The nth root function extracts roots beyond square roots. 2^10 = 1,024 3rd root of 27 = 3 16^(1/4) = 2 2^(-3) = 0.125 I use exponents for compound interest calculations, growth projections, and any situation involving repeated multiplication. Negative exponents are useful for decay calculations and unit conversions involving inverse relationships. that raising to the power of one over n is the same as taking the nth root, which is useful when the calculator does not have a dedicated nth root button. Logarithms Logarithms are the inverse of exponents. The common log, base 10, is usually marked LOG. The natural log, base e, is marked LN.