Scientific Calculator

Full scientific calculator with trig, log, memory, and more.

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Scientific Calculator — What It Does

A full-featured scientific calculator running entirely in your browser. Supports basic arithmetic, trigonometric functions (sin, cos, tan and their inverses), logarithms (base 10 and natural log), square root, exponentiation, factorial, and memory operations. No installation required — works on any device.

Function Reference

  • sin / cos / tan — Trigonometric functions (degrees mode)
  • log — Base-10 logarithm. ln — Natural logarithm (base e)
  • √ — Square root. xʸ — Raise x to power y
  • n! — Factorial (e.g., 5! = 120)
  • M+ / MR / MC — Memory store, recall, clear
  • π — Pi (3.14159…). e — Euler's number (2.71828…)

Common Calculations

  • Hypotenuse of right triangle with legs 3 and 4: √(3² + 4²) = 5
  • Compound interest: 1000 × 1.05^10 = 1628.89
  • Decibels to ratio: 10^(dB/10)
  • Permutations of 5 items: 5! = 120

Tips for Accurate Results

  • Order of operations — Use parentheses to group expressions and avoid ambiguity.
  • Degrees vs radians — Verify the angle mode before using trig functions. Many errors come from wrong mode.
  • Floating-point limits — Very large factorials (above ~170!) exceed JavaScript's floating-point range and return Infinity.
  • Negative under square root — Returns NaN (not a real number) — use complex number tools for imaginary results.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between sin, cos, and tan?
These are trigonometric functions defined for a right triangle. sin(θ) = opposite/hypotenuse, cos(θ) = adjacent/hypotenuse, tan(θ) = opposite/adjacent. In a unit circle, sin gives the y-coordinate and cos gives the x-coordinate of the point at angle θ.
What is the difference between log and ln?
log (common logarithm) uses base 10 — log(100) = 2 because 10² = 100. ln (natural logarithm) uses base e (≈ 2.71828) — ln(e) = 1. Use log for pH, decibels, and earthquake scales; use ln for continuous growth, calculus, and probability.
How does the memory function work on a scientific calculator?
Memory keys let you store and recall values between calculations. M+ adds the displayed value to memory, M- subtracts it, MR recalls the stored value, and MC clears memory. This is useful for multi-step problems where an intermediate result is needed later.
What does the EXP or ×10ˣ button do?
EXP enters scientific notation. Pressing 3 EXP 8 enters 3 × 10⁸ (300,000,000 — the speed of light in m/s). This avoids typing long strings of zeros and is standard for very large or very small numbers in physics and engineering.
What is the difference between degrees and radians in trig calculations?
Degrees divide a full circle into 360 parts; radians use the ratio of arc length to radius (2π for a full circle). Most calculators default to degrees. For calculus and programming (Math.sin in JavaScript), inputs are in radians. To convert: radians = degrees × π/180.