USE OF THE SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR

Below are some exercises to introduce the basic functions of the scientific calculator that you need to
be familiar with in General Chemistry. These instructions will work for most but not all makes of
calculators. Especially for Graphics Calculators (such as TI 82, TI 83, TI 85), you may be able to do
the same thing with a different combination of keystrokes.

1. To enter an exponent, you need to use the key labeled EE , EX , or EXP . Look for this key.
For simplicity, EXP (for exponential) is used in the entire exercise.

To enter 3 x 104 , press 3 EXP 4.

Display: 3 04 or 3 04 [This does NOT mean 3 to 4th power, but 3x104 or 30,000!]

NOTE: It is a common mistake to enter it as 3 X 10 EXP 4, which would represent 3 x 105

instead, as you had told the calculator to do 3 x 10 x 10 4 !

2. To enter a negative number, use the key labeled +/− CHS. For simplicity +/− will be used
here. (Be careful not to press the key for subtraction. You only want to change the sign to
negative.) For Graphics Calculators, negative numbers are entered by pressing (–) before pressing
the number. For example, to enter –3, press (–) 3.

To enter 3 x 10 − 4 , press 3 EXP 4 +/− .

Display: 3 − 04 or 3 − 04

To enter −3 x 10 4, press 3 +/− EXP 4.

Display: − 3 04 or −3 04

3. Multiplication & Division of Numbers in Exponential Form

a. Calculate (3x104) (2x103).

Press 3 EXP 4 X 2 EXP 3 =

ans. 6x107

b. Calculate (− 4.827x106)(2.17x10− 4).

ans. −1047.459
or − 1.047459 x 103
(Record as −1.05 x 103)

If you didn’t get this ans., try this:

4.827 +/− EXP 6 X 2.17 EXP 4 +/− =

Use of Sci Calculator-Yau-April 2007 p. 1

c. Calculate (3.89x102)(3.7x10 − 4)
(2.1 x 103)(1.64x10− 6)
ans. 41.791521 (Record as 42)

If you didn’t get this ans, try this:

3.89 EXP 2 X 3.7 EXP 4 +/− ÷ 2.1 EXP 3 ÷ 1.64 EXP 6 +/− =

d. Calculate with your calculator 103 x 104 ans. 107

If you didn’t get this ans, try this: 1 EXP 3 X 1 EXP 4 =

e. 10 8 x 10 2 ans. 10 16
10 − 6

If you didn’t get this ans, try this: 1 EXP 8 X 1 EXP 2 ÷ 1 EXP 6 +/− =

4. Order of Operations

The calculator will perform these functions in this order: 1) powers and roots (such as squares and
square roots); 2) functions within parentheses; 3) x and ÷; 4) + and −.

a. 3 x 6 ans. 3
2+4

If you didn’t get this ans, try this: 3 X 6 ÷ ( 2 + 4 ) =

If you simply did 3 X 6 ÷ 2 + 4 = , you will get the erroneous answer of 13, because you
3x 6
have actually told the calculator to perform + 4. The calculator performed “÷2” before
2
“+4” .

b. 3 + 7 ans. 0.5
4x5

If you didn’t get this ans, try this: ( 3 + 7 ) ÷ 4 ÷ 5 = . You press ÷ 5 rather than X 5
because 5 is in the denominator and so you want to divide by 5.
It is a common mistake to do 3 + 7 ÷ 4 X 5, which gives you the erroneous answer of 11.75 or
12.5, depending on the model of your calculator. You have actually told the calculator to perform
7
3+ x 5 instead!
4
If you have trouble with remembering the order of operations, you might want to routinely write in
( 3 + 7)
parentheses for the numerator and for the denominator:
( 4 x 5)

c. 3 x 6 ans. 0.9
4 x 5
Use of Sci Calculator-Yau-April 2007 p. 2
 d. (3 − 7) (4 + 6 ) ans. 8
− (2 + 3 )

g. 3 x 4 ans. 1.9285714
7 x 8/9

5. Calculate 0.000 000 000 25 x 12345678999

ans. 3.1

(Graphics calculators give 3.08641975, which should then be recorded as 3.1)

Unless you have a graphics calculator, you probably cannot enter this many digits. The solution is
to express your number in scientific notation and/or round off to a more manageable number of
digits. In this example, 0.000 000 000 25 must be entered as 2.5x10−10 and 12345678999 entered as
1.23x1010 to give 3.075 which is rounded to 3.1. (Rules on significant figures and rounding off
numbers are covered elsewhere.)

6. Do you know how to interconvert between nonexponential mode and scientific mode? You can
do this in your head, but here is how your calculator can do it for you.

Enter 187.85. Can you convert the display to show 1.8785x102 ? Your calculator most likely uses
one of the following procedures for the interconversion:

TI 81 , TI 82 , TI 83: Press Mode , use → to highlight NORM or SCI on display

Press ENTER
Press CLR or EXIT to return to regular screen
Enter the number then press ENTER
You could enter the number first, then do the steps described above.

Casio fx 250: Mode 9 is normal (nonexponential), Mode 8 is scientific notation

Use Mode 8 9 to show scientific notation with 9 digits.
Display: 1.87850000x102
Use Mode 8 2 to show scientific notation with 2 digits. Display: 1.9 x 102
Use Mode 9 to return to nonexponential form. Display: 187.85

other Casios: Mode 1 is FIX

Mode 2 is SCI
Mode 3 is NORM

Use Mode 2 9 to show scientific notation with 9 digits.

Use Mode 3 1 to show nonexponential which automatically switches to sci. notation when
the number is less than .01
Use Mode 3 1 to show nonexponential which automatically switches to sci. notation when
number is less than . 000001

Use of Sci Calculator-Yau-April 2007 p. 3

 TI 25x: Press X 1 EE = to switch to scientific notation
Press 2nd EE to switch back to nonexponential form

Sharp, & some others: INV EE converts numbers to nonexponential form

1 X EE converts numbers to scientific notation

Certain models: Use 2nd F and FSE where F or FD means floating decimal
(normal display)
S or SCI means scientific notation
E means engineering

For Gen Chem I students, you can skip this next section on log and natural log and
go to the “Extra Calculator Drill” on the last page of this tutorial.
For Gen Chem II students, you do need to know how to find log and antilog (log-1)
of a number. Continue with Step 7 below.

7. Log and Antilog

To find the log of a number you simply enter the number and then press LOG.
To find the antilog of a number you enter the number and then press the 10x key. Usually this is
the second function of the same key you used for LOG. In most calculators, the label for 10x
appears above the key for LOG. To access that function you press the INV or SHIFT or 2nd key
(depending on what brand of calculator you have) before pressing LOG.

a. log 5 ans. 0.69897 (recorded as 0.7 for proper sig. fig.*)

b. antilog 5 ans. 100000 or 105

c. log of 5.2x10–3 ans. –2.2839967 (recorded as –2.28 for proper sig. fig.)
(*Rules on treatment of significant figures for log and antilog are covered on the next page.)

If you get an error message you probably did not enter the number in the proper format.
You should enter it as 5.2 EXP –3 LOG rather than 5.2 x 10 ^ –3 LOG because the calculator is
going to calculate log of –3, which is impossible because you cannot calculate the log of a negative
number. By entering 5.2 EXP –3, the calculator is treating it as ONE number (5.2x10–3). By
entering 5.2 x 10 ^ –3, the calculator is treating it as TWO numbers that you want multiplied: 5.2
and 10–3. When you press LOG, it “thinks” you want the log of the last number (–3).

Use of Sci Calculator-Yau-April 2007 p. 4

 3.85x10 4
d. log of ans. 4.284430734… (recorded as 4.284)
2.00

If you didn’t get this ans. try this: ( 3.85 EXP 4 ÷ 2.00 ) LOG

or 3.85 EXP 4 ÷ 2.00 = LOG

(You need to complete the division before pressing the LOG key. If you just pressed the keys in this
order 3.85 EXP 4 ÷ 2.00 LOG you are asking the calculator to calculate log of 2.00 !)

e. antilog of 7.2 x 10 –2 ans. 1.18

Try this: 7.2 EXP 2 +/– 10 x

8. Natural log (ln) and antinatural log (antiln)

Natural logarithm works the same way. Use ln for natural log and the ex key for antinatural log.
Again, ex is usually the second function of the same key you used for ln, to be accessed by pressing
either INV, SHIFT or 2nd key first. (*Rules for sig. fig. are shown in the boxed are below.)

a. ln of 3.2 ans. 1.1631508 (recorded as 1.16)

b. antiln of 1.2x10–3 ans. 1.0012007 (recorded as 1.001)

(Remember to enter the number as 1.2 EXP –3.)

Rules for handling significant figures for log, antilog, ln and antiln:
When you find the log of a number, the number of significant figures of that number is the
number of decimal places of the answer.
Example 1: log 5.1 = ? Ans. 0.71
5.1 has 2 sig. fig. so ans 0.707570... should be rounded to 2 decimal places.
Example 2: log 0.0327 = ? Ans. –1.485
0.0327 has 3 sig. fig. so –1.4854... should be rounded to 3 decimal places.
Example 3: log 2x10–2 = ? Ans. –1.7
2x10–2 has 1 sig. fig. so ans –1.6989... should be rounded to 1 decimal place.

When you find the antilog of a number, the number of decimal places of that number in
NONEXPONENTIAL FORM is the number of significant figures of the answer.
Example 4: antilog 3.2x10–2 = ?
You must first convert 3.2x10–2 to nonexponential form: 0.032
0.032 has 3 decimal places so ans 1.076465... should be rounded to 1.08 (3 sig. fig.)
Significant figures for ln and antiln work the same way:
Example 5: ln 7.5 = 2.01 (7.5 has 2 sig. fig. so ans should be in 2 decimal places.)
Example 6: antiln 2.7x10–1 = 1.3 (2.7x10–1 = 0.27 has 2 decimal places, so ans is in 2 sig.fig.)

Use of Sci Calculator-Yau-April 2007 p. 5

EXTRA CALCULATOR DRILL FOR GEN CHEM I and GEN CHEM II
Now that you have gone through the tutorial, let's see whether you have learned how to use your
calculator properly. For simplicity, round your answers to 2 significant figures. Practice for
significant figures is provided elsewhere. If you having trouble getting the answers provided in the
drill below, get help immediately. You cannot afford to wait!

9. (5.2 x 10 7 ) (4.9 x 10 9 ) = 2.5 x 10 17

10. (− 2.6 x 10 5 ) (7.2 x 10 -8 ) = −1.9 x 10 −2

 3.8 x 10 5   2.7 x 10 9 
  
  
11. = 1.2 x 101
 1.8 x 10 7   4.9 x 10 6 
  
  

 6.3 x 10 6 + 2.7 x 10 8 
 
12.   = 3.5 x 10 3
4
7.8 x 10

 2.3 x 10 8   5.2 x 10 - 3 
  
13.     = 1.9 x 10 9
 7.3 x 10 - 7  +  6.2 x 10 - 4 
   
   

10 8 x 10 -12 (Although some of you can do this in your head, use

14. = 10 −8 your calculator to do the calculations in questions #14
10 23 x 10 -19 thru 16 to make sure you know how to use your
calculator properly.)

15. 3.7 x 10 − 6 10 22 = 3.7 x 10 54

10 − 38

16. 2.1 x 10 − 8 1 10 − 9 = 2.1 x 10 − 14

10 − 3 1

For Gen Chem II students continue to 17 thru 20 for practice on the log and antilog functions.

17. Find the log of 7 x 10 –4 Ans. – 3.15490196 (recorded as −3.2)

18. Find the antilog of – 6.92 Ans. 8,317,637.711 (recorded as 8.3 x 106)

19. Find the natural log of 5.7 x 10–5 Ans. –9.772459 (recorded as –9.77)

20. Find the anti natural log of –2.78 x 10–1 Ans. 0.972582864 (recorded as 0.973)

Use of Sci Calculator-Yau-April 2007 p. 6