Top 5 Uses for a Scientific Calculator

Daniel Horowitz
|
January 23, 2019

Most of us carry around a basic calculator with us at all times; otherwise

known as our smartphone. But what if you are taking advanced math and
science classes? Or if you work in an industry that regularly uses complicated
calculations to design or develop advanced concepts like engineering,
surveying, medicine, or chemistry?
Then you need something better suited to solving your difficult problems. A
scientific calculator will fit the bill. And if you plan to take a higher-level math
class any time in the near future, your professor may require you to use a
scientific calculator.
We’ll take a look at 3 HP scientific calculators that have different price points
at the end of this article, but first, let’s dive into exactly what it is and 5 things
you can use your scientific calculator for.

What is a scientific calculator?

Scientific calculators perform the same functions as their standard electronic

calculator counterparts, but they also have myriad other features available.
There are three main categories of calculators on the market today: business,
basic, and scientific.
It’s likely that you have already used a basic calculator in your high school
math classes, and you may have even used a business or graphing calculator
in an economics or business statistics course.
The scientific calculator, however, is the only one that can handle certain
functions in fields such as trigonometry, physics, chemistry, and engineering.
A scientific calculator has additional features that allow you to work with
exponents and logs, which require more memory in order to perform functions
for the best results.
While you can also do basic calculations such as addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division, that barely scratches the surface of the types of
equations this calculator can handle.

What should I look for in a scientific calculator?

If you expect to take any classes that dive into geometry, scientific notation,
trigonometry, engineering, and physics, then it’s likely you will have to learn
how to use a scientific calculator at some point.

COST

You shouldn’t expect to spend more than $200 for your scientific calculator. In
fact, HP has 3 under $60 (2 of them under $15). Expect to pay a bit more than
you’ll pay for a basic or business calculator because of the features that come
with it.

FUNCTIONS

Depending on the manufacturer, you’re likely to have different labels for your
functions. For the most part, they should be able to accomplish the same
tasks. If you have access to your syllabus, double-check to make sure that
you are purchasing the recommended option.

BONUS FEATURES

You don’t need to have the fanciest model in order to pass your class, but
there have been some important advances to scientific calculators over the
past few years. These include WiFi and the ability to share your work with
classmates or your instructor.
Here are the top five uses for a scientific calculator and how you may be
expected to use it in your next class.

1. Basic functions and exponents

Calculate basic functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and
division. You should keep in mind that the subtraction sign (-) is different from
a separate negative function. This can end up causing some confusion
concerning negative and positive numbers when you start using your
calculator at first because the signs look similar.

EXPONENTS, UNKNOWN NUMBERS

Along with negation, you can also raise numbers to another power and find a
square root of a number or formula.
Exponents are used in almost any math course past grade school, but only a
scientific calculator can perform any algebraic function.
In addition to using your calculator to solve for a known number, you can use
it for an unknown number. This is useful for algebra or any other more
advanced math you may be studying.

ORDER OF OPERATIONS

Basic calculators are great for solving simple equations with one or two
variables, but scientific calculators allow you to input a problem that has an
order of operations. If you enter one of these equations into a regular
calculator, it won’t be able to correctly determine which numbers should be
addressed first.
However, once you enter the equation into a scientific calculator, it should
provide you with the correct answer. This is because parentheses are
included as an option, allowing you to solve more complex problems. This
tells the calculator to perform that operation first, much like if you were doing it
on paper.