How it works
This calculator reads the whole expression you type and works it out using the standard order of operations, the same rules taught in school and used by scientific calculators. You do not have to press buttons one by one: type 12.5*4, press Enter, and the result is shown. The on-screen keypad does exactly the same thing for touch screens.
Order of operations
- Brackets first:
(2+3)*4 = 20. - Powers with
^, worked right to left:2^3^2 = 2^9 = 512. - Signs: a minus in front applies after the power, so
-5^2 = -25while(-5)^2 = 25. - Multiplication and division from left to right:
8/2/2 = 2. - Addition and subtraction from left to right:
2+3*4 = 14.
Percent works like a desk calculator
On its own, % divides by 100, so 50%*200 = 100. After a plus or minus it takes a percentage of the number before it, which is what you want for prices: 200+10% = 220 and 200-10% = 180.
Worked example. A phone costs 1,250 and VAT is 14%. Type 1250+14% and press Enter: 1,250 + 1,250 × 14 ÷ 100 = 1,425. To find a 15% tip on 86.40, type 86.4*15% = 12.96.
Functions and constants
You can use sin, cos, tan and their inverses (asin, acos, atan), sqrt or √, ln (natural log), log (base 10), log2, abs, exp, factorial !, and the constants π (or pi) and e. Angles are in degrees by default — switch to radians with one click. Writing a number next to a bracket or constant multiplies: 2π and 2(3+4) both work. ans reuses the last result.
Accuracy
Numbers are stored as 64-bit floating point (about 15–16 significant digits). The display rounds to 12 significant digits, which hides the tiny binary rounding that makes some calculators show 0.1+0.2 = 0.30000000000000004 — here you will see 0.3. Impossible operations are explained instead of returning nonsense: dividing by zero, the square root of a negative number, tan(90°) or a factorial above 170 all show a clear message.
Need percentages explained step by step? Use the percentage calculator. To convert the result to other units, open the unit converter.