Functions of Scientific Calculator

Modern scientific calculators generally have many more features than a standard four or five-function calculator, and the feature set differs between manufacturers and models; however, the defining features of a scientific calculator include:

• scientific notation
• floating point arithmetic
• logarithmic functions, using both base 10 and base e
• trigonometric functions (some including hyperbolic trigonometry)
• exponential functions and roots beyond the square root
• quick access to constants such as pi and e

In addition, high-end scientific calculators will include:

• hexadecimal, binary, and octal calculations, including basic Boolean math
• complex numbers
• fractions
• statistics and probability calculations
• programmability — see Programmable calculator
• equation solving
• calculus
• letters that can be used for spelling words or including variables into an equation
• conversion of units
• physical constants

While most scientific models have traditionally used a single-line display similar to traditional pocket calculators, many of them have at the very least more digits (10 to 12), sometimes with extra digits for the floating point exponent. A few have multi-line displays, with some recent models from Hewlett-Packard, Texas Instruments, Casio, Sharp, and Canon using dot matrix displays similar to those found on graphing calculators.