How to use the basic calculator: sums, remainders, percent

Steps

1. Type the first number. Decimals and negative numbers work.
2. Choose the operation: add, subtract, multiply, divide, power, remainder (mod) or percent of.
3. Type the second number. The answer appears as you type.
4. Read the answer and the working shown above it, such as 1250 × 12.
5. Change either number or the operation to try another sum. Nothing you type leaves your device.

What each operation does

Add, subtract, multiply and divide work as usual: 125 + 75 = 200, 10 − 4 = 6, 1,250 × 12 = 15,000 and 1 ÷ 3 = 0.333333333333. Power raises the first number to the second: 2 to the power 10 is 1,024.

Remainder (mod) is what is left after dividing as many whole times as possible: 17 mod 5 = 2. Percent of finds a share of a number: 15% of 2,400 is 15 ÷ 100 × 2,400 = 360.

Rounding and decimals

Computers store most decimals as close approximations, which is why a plain sum such as 0.1 + 0.2 can show 0.30000000000000004 elsewhere. This calculator rounds to 12 significant digits, so 0.1 + 0.2 shows 0.3, and a repeating answer such as 1 ÷ 3 is cut after 12 digits. Very large or very small answers are shown in scientific form, such as 1.2676506e+30.

When to use the scientific calculator instead

The basic calculator does one operation on two numbers. For a longer sum with brackets, such as (2 + 3) × 4 + sqrt(16), or for roots, logs and trigonometry, use the scientific calculator, which reads a whole expression and follows the usual order of operations.