- How does the scientific calculator handle degrees vs radians?
- By default, trig functions (sin, cos, tan) interpret their argument as degrees, which matches most homework problems. Toggle the DEG/RAD switch to radians for calculus work (derivatives and integrals of trig functions are defined in radians). Inverse trig functions (asin, acos, atan) return degrees in DEG mode and radians in RAD mode.
- What is the order of operations used?
- The engine follows standard PEMDAS: parentheses first, then exponents (^) and factorials (!), then multiplication and division left-to-right, then addition and subtraction left-to-right. So 10 − 4 × 2 = 2, not 12, because the multiplication is performed before the subtraction.
- How is −2² evaluated?
- As −(2²) = −4. The exponent operator binds tighter than unary minus, matching Google Calculator, Wolfram Alpha, and most math libraries. To square a negative number, write (−2)^2 = 4 explicitly.
- What's the difference between log and ln?
- log is the common logarithm base 10 (so log(100) = 2), and ln is the natural logarithm base e ≈ 2.71828 (so ln(e) = 1). Use ln for calculus and continuous-growth problems; use log for pH, decibels, and Richter-scale calculations.
- Does the calculator support keyboard input?
- Yes — type numbers, operators (+, −, *, /), parentheses, ^ for exponents, and the constants pi and e directly. The live preview re-evaluates on every keystroke so you can confirm the result before pressing =.