Scientific Calculator – Sin, Cos, Tan, Log, Powers & Roots

How this calculator works

The keypad is the only input. Press digits and function keys to build an expression on the display, then press = to evaluate it. Deg and Rad set the angle unit for sin, cos, tan and their inverses, and the active mode shows as DEG or RAD above the number. Inv swaps those three keys for asin, acos and atan. AC clears the expression and the Inv state; the arrow at the left of the display deletes one character. Ans pastes the last evaluated result, and is the only recall this keypad has.

To trim a long result to a fixed number of decimals or significant figures, hand it to the rounding calculator. The rest of the General calculators cover the jobs this keypad deliberately does not.

The formula

radians = degrees × π ÷ 180

n% = n ÷ 100

a ^ b ^ c = a ^ (b ^ c)

Substituted: in Deg mode, sin 30° is evaluated as sin(30 × π ÷ 180) = sin(0.5235987756 rad) = 0.5. The other two lines are worked through in the tables below.

Worked examples

sin 30° + cos 60° in degree mode

Angle mode:: Deg
Expression:: sin(30) + cos(60)

Type 30, then press sin: sin(30)
Press +, then press cos: sin(30)+cos(
Type 60, then press ): sin(30)+cos(60)
Press =: 0.5 + 0.5

Displayed result: 1

Typing the number first wraps it automatically — 30 then sin becomes sin(30). A function key pressed part-way through an expression only opens its bracket, so you close that one yourself.

The diagonal of a 3 m × 4 m rectangle

Sides:: 3 m and 4 m
Expression:: sqrt(3^2 + 4^2)

Press √: sqrt(
Type 3, press xʸ, type 2: sqrt(3^2
Press +, type 4, press xʸ, type 2: sqrt(3^2+4^2
Press ), then =: sqrt(9 + 16) = sqrt(25)

Diagonal: 5 m

Brackets are evaluated first, then powers, then × and ÷, then + and −.

Reference data

The first table lists what each key computes. The second gives the order of operations, which is where this calculator differs from some handhelds.

Function keys and what each one computes
Key	What it computes	Example (Deg mode)	Result
sin, cos, tan	Trigonometric ratio of an angle	sin(30)	0.5
Inv then sin, cos, tan	asin, acos, atan — the inverse ratio	asin(0.5)	30
ln	Natural logarithm, base e	ln(e)	1
log	Logarithm, base 10	log(1000)	3
√	Square root	sqrt(25)	5
xʸ	Power	2^10	1024
x!	Factorial of the evaluated display	5, then x!	120
%	Divides the number before it by 100	200−10%	199.9
EXP	Scientific-notation separator	3E5	300000
π and e	Mathematical constants	π	3.1415926536

Source: OtherCalculators — behaviour of this calculator — Every example in this table was evaluated with this calculator's own engine on 6 August 2026. No external body publishes the key layout or display conventions of a specific tool.

Order of operations, as this calculator applies it
Rule	Example	Result
Brackets before everything else	(2+3)×4	20
× and ÷ before + and −	3×4+2	14
Powers group from the right	2^3^2	512
A minus directly before a power is rejected	−2^2	Error
Bracket it, or subtract from zero, instead	(0−2)^2 and 0−2^2	4 and −4

Source: MDN Web Docs — Exponentiation (**) operator — This calculator evaluates your expression as a JavaScript expression, so it inherits JavaScript's operator rules. Each example was also run through the calculator itself on 6 August 2026.

Key facts

In degree mode this calculator returns sin 30° = 0.5, converting internally with radians = degrees × π ÷ 180; the Deg and Rad keys affect only sin, cos, tan and their inverses.
The % key divides by 100 rather than taking a percentage of the preceding number, so 200 − 10% evaluates to 199.9, not 180.
Powers group from the right: 2 ^ 3 ^ 2 evaluates as 2 ^ (3 ^ 2) = 512, not as (2 ^ 3) ^ 2 = 64.
Results show at most 10 decimal places and switch to 8-digit scientific notation once the magnitude reaches 1e10 or falls below 1e-6, so 12,345,678,901 displays as 1.23456789e+10.

Who should use this and when

This is for anyone who needs a function an ordinary phone keypad does not have: a student checking a trigonometry or logarithm answer, someone converting an angle before it goes into a spreadsheet, or an AP Chemistry or AP Biology candidate rehearsing arithmetic they will do under exam conditions. It is a general-purpose keypad rather than a domain tool — if you are estimating materials, the bitumen calculator already carries the right formulas and unit handling.

Tips and common pitfalls

Check DEG or RAD above the number before trusting a trig result. In radian mode sin(30) is −0.9880316241, not 0.5, because 30 is read as 30 radians.
x! evaluates the whole display first and then takes the factorial of that result, truncated to a whole number — so 3.7 followed by x! returns 6, the factorial of 3.
tan(90) in degree mode returns 1.63312394e+16 rather than an error, because 90° cannot be held exactly in binary floating point. Read a very large tangent as undefined.

Frequently asked questions

How do I switch this scientific calculator between degrees and radians?+

Press Deg or Rad at the top left of the keypad. The active mode shows as DEG or RAD above the number, and Deg is the default. It affects only sin, cos, tan and their inverses, and AC does not reset it.

Why does 200 minus 10% give 199.9 instead of 180?+

Because the % key divides by 100 rather than taking a percentage of the number in front of it. 10% becomes 0.1, so 200 − 10% evaluates to 199.9. To take 10% of 200, enter 10% × 200, which gives 20, and subtract that.

What does the Inv key do on this calculator?+

Inv swaps sin, cos and tan for asin, acos and atan, and INV appears beside DEG or RAD while it is active. It does not change ln, log or √, and there are no eˣ, 10ˣ or x² keys. Inv again, or AC, turns it off.

Why is my scientific calculator showing Error?+

Error appears whenever the result is not a finite number: dividing by zero, the square root of a negative, ln or log of zero or a negative, a factorial of a negative number or above 170, or an expression left with an unclosed bracket.

Does this scientific calculator have a memory function?+

No. There are no M+, M−, MR or MC keys. Ans pastes the result of your last = into the current expression and survives AC, but there is no memory register and no history of earlier calculations.

How do I enter a power or a square root?+

Press xʸ between the base and the exponent: 2, xʸ, 1, 0, = gives 1024. For a square root press √ first, which opens sqrt(, then type the value and close the bracket. A plain number already on the display is wrapped for you.

Why does 2 to the power 3 to the power 2 give 512 and not 64?+

Because powers group from the right: 2 ^ 3 ^ 2 is read as 2 ^ (3 ^ 2) = 2 ^ 9 = 512. To get 64, bracket the first power yourself as (2 ^ 3) ^ 2. For the same reason a minus sign placed directly before a power is rejected — enter (0 − 2) ^ 2 rather than − 2 ^ 2.

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Estimates & assumptions

Results use double-precision floating point, so a mathematically exact value can differ in its last digits. The display rounds to 10 decimal places, which hides most of this: √2 squared shows as 2.
There are no memory keys, no calculation history and no unit conversion. Ans recalls only the most recent result, and AC does not clear it.
Factorials are truncated to a whole number before evaluation, and anything above 170! returns Error.

This is a general-purpose calculator for everyday and educational use. Check any result that a decision depends on.