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Using your scientific calculator:
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This form is designed to collect instructions about how to do certain tasks (mainly for intro chem) on various calculators that students use. Filling out this form may help you learn how to do some key tasks on your calculator. Further, we will maintain this information, at the web site, to help other students.

Please read the form, and then fill in the right hand column with the information for your calculator. If you are not sure about an item, leave it blank for now, and check with me. You might also check the posted pages for other calculators from the same company, and see if they help you figure out your model.

I will contact you to discuss any questions I have about your form, and to allow you to proofread the page before it is posted.

If you are just asking a question, I suggest that you send me a regular e-mail, using the contact information at the bottom of the page, rather than using the form.

If there is insufficient space in a reply box, just keep typing; the extra that you type will be submitted.

The calculator.

  Example (HP-11C) Your calculator
Brand name Hewlett Packard
Model number HP-11C

Logic system. Does your calculator use algebraic or RPN (reverse Polish notation) logic? How do you tell? Typically, an algebraic calculator has an = key, used to find a result; an RPN calculator has an ENTER key, used for an initial entry. To add two numbers (say, 2 & 3) on an algebraic calculator, you type the keys "2 + 3 =". On an RPN calculator, you type "2 ENTER 3 +". The sequence is what matters, not the key name; some algebraic calculators (especially the more complex, graphics calculators) use ENTER instead of =.

  Example (HP-11C) Your calculator
Algebraic or RPN? RPN. This calculator has an ENTER key (big key, middle of bottom row), and does not have an = key.
Algebraic calculators can be subdivided into AOS and DAL. If you know which type yours is, you can write that here. If not, you will figure that out later on the form. n/a for an RPN calculator If you know...

Shift keys. Shift keys are used to get the second (or third) function for a particular key. If there are two shift keys, list both.

  Example (HP-11C) Your calculator
What is the label on the "shift" key(s) yellow shift: f
blue shift: g
Where is the shift key? Both are near lower left.

Scientific notation; entering. Identify the key used to enter the exponent. (It is usually EE or EXP, or similar.)
* A special case concerns entering a number that starts with 1x in scientific notation: do you need to enter the 1? Try it... Calculate 1x1012 * 2. Do it twice, once with the first 1 and once without it. Do you need to enter the 1 to get the correct answer, 2x1012?
* The key for making an exponent negative is the same key used for entering negative numbers.

  Example (HP-11C) Your calculator
What is the label on the key for entering exponents? EEX
Where is that key? middle; just above "ENTER"
When entering a number that starts with 1x in scientific notation, do you need to enter the 1? (e.g., 1x1012) no; ok to enter just EEX 12
What is the key for making an exponent negative? CHS
Where is that key? Top row, middle, above EEX.

Scientific notation; display.

  Example (HP-11C) Your calculator
Most scientific calculators allow you to "force" the display to use (or to not use) scientific notation.

Many calculators allow you to set the number of decimal places displayed.

(Some calculators also have an option for "Engineering notation", which is a variation of Scientific notation. Not important for most people.) 		The SCI key (f-shift 8) sets the display to scientific notation.
The FIX key (f-shift 7) sets the display to fixed decimal notation.

You must follow the SCI or FIX key with a single digit (0-9) specifying the number of decimal places.

Examples:
f-shift SCI 4 -- sets the display to scientific notation with four decimal places.
f-shift FIX 0 -- sets the display to fixed decimal notation with zero decimal places.

Logarithms (and anti-logs). In intro chem we most often use base 10 logs (log10), for example with pH. The log10 is the power of 10 of the number. For example, the log10 of 1000 is 3; and then the antilog10 of 3 is 1000.
* On some calculators, you press the LOG key before the number, and on some you press the number then the LOG key.

  Example (HP-11C) Your calculator
How is the log10 key labeled? LOG (in blue).
It is g-shift 10x.
How is the base 10 antilog key labeled? 10x
To take the log10 of 1000 which do you enter first, the number or the LOG key? The number. That is, enter 1000 g-shift 10x.
The preceding step serves to distinguish AOS and DAL calculators. If your calculator uses algebraic notation, and if you enter the number first, then it is AOS; if you enter the LOG first, it is DAL. The same pattern holds for other one-key functions, such as antilog and square root.


Base e logs (loge or ln), called natural logs. We do not use these in intro chem, but you are likely to use them if you go much beyond that.

How are the keys labeled for natural logs and antilogs? LN (in blue).
It is g-shift ex.

anti-log: ex

Miscellaneous. These are functions we do not use in intro chem, but which you are likely to use in other math and science courses. Briefly noted here.

  Example (HP-11C) Your calculator
Angles: degrees or radians

(Some calculators also have an option for "grad". The grad is 0.9 degree, so that a right angle is 100 grad. Not commonly used.) 		DEG (g-shift 7) sets the calculator to work in degrees;
RAD (g-shift 8) sets it to work in radians. (In radians mode, RAD appears on the display.)

There are also keys to convert an individual entry from one form to another. These are -->RAD (f-shift 3) and -->DEG (g-shift 3).
Polar vs rectangular coordinates -->R (f-shift EEX)
-->P (g-shift EEX)
Both of these functions work on a pair of values, in the X and Y registers.

Calculator picture. This is optional, but we are finding that it is helpful. I would appreciate it if you can provide a picture of the front of your calculator. Using a digital camera or scanner often gives a suitable picture. The goal is a picture where the key labels are visible -- at least, most of them. You can see some examples by checking the list of calculators on my main calculators page. (Most pictures I find on the web are not of high enough quality to read the key labels.) You do not need to provide a picture when you submit this form. If you choose to do so, use my email link on the contact page. It is also fine to send it later, when we discuss the submitted information.

  Example (HP-11C) Your calculator
Can you provide a picture? (It's ok to answer "not sure".) Yes

You. Please provide your name and e-mail, so I can check back with you if there are questions (and have you proofread the web page for your calculator). We will not list your name at the web site without your explicit permission. We will not make your e-mail available in any case. Submissions without a valid e-mail address are ignored.

  Example (HP-11C) You
Your name Bob Bruner
Your e-mail (for my use only) REQUIRED [not posted]
May we list your name in the collection (at the web site), to give you credit for providing this information? If yes, how would you like your name listed? ("handles" ok.) yes
Bob Bruner

Any other comments welcomed. Did filling out this form help you understand how your calculator works? Are there other calculator functions that you think we should include here? Other comments?

Thanks to Thien (11th grade, Ohio) for help designing this form (in 2002).


Click the Submit button below to send the form. If you don't "submit", I won't get the form.

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Last update: December 19, 2008

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