Education
Scientific Calculator
A practical scientific calculator with the buttons you reach for in algebra, trig, and pre-calculus. Build expressions with sin, cos, tan, log, ln, sqrt, powers, factorial, π, e, and parentheses. The live result updates as you type.
Calculator
Current value
...
Angle mode: Degrees
The result updates as you type. Press = to record the expression in the recent list. Use Deg or Rad to switch the angle mode for sin, cos, tan, asin, acos, and atan.
Examples
sin(30) (deg)
= 0.5
log(1000)
= 3
2^10
= 1,024
sqrt(2)
≈ 1.414
How it works
The calculator runs each expression through a small, local parser. Tokens are recognized, ordered by precedence, and evaluated step by step. The result updates live as you type, and pressing equals records the expression in the recent list.
Operators (highest to lowest precedence)
n! · ^ · unary − · × ÷ · + −
Functions
sin, cos, tan, asin, acos, atan, log, ln, sqrt, exp
Constants
π ≈ 3.14159 · e ≈ 2.71828
The calculator inserts an implicit multiplication wherever it is unambiguous, so 2π, 2(3+4), and π sin(30) all work.
What this scientific calculator does
This is a practical, button-driven scientific calculator for numeric math. It handles the operators and functions you reach for in algebra, trigonometry, and pre-calculus: arithmetic, parentheses, powers, square roots, logarithms, trig functions and their inverses, factorial, and the constants π and e. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
Supported functions
- Arithmetic: + − × ÷ and parentheses ( ).
- Powers and roots: x² (square), xʸ (general power via ^), 10ˣ (insert 10^), eˣ (insert exp(), and √ (square root via sqrt().
- Trigonometric: sin, cos, tan and their inverses asin, acos, atan. These respect the angle mode toggle.
- Logarithmic: log (common log, base 10) and ln (natural log, base e).
- Other: n! (factorial, whole numbers from 0 through 170), π (pi), and e (Euler's number).
Degrees vs radians
Trig functions interpret their arguments differently depending on the angle mode:
- Degrees: a full circle is 360°. sin(30) = 0.5 and cos(60) = 0.5. This is the standard mode for most introductory algebra and trig classes.
- Radians: a full circle is 2π radians, which is roughly 6.283. In radian mode, sin(π/2) = 1 and cos(π) = −1. Radians are the standard in calculus and physics because derivative and integral formulas come out cleanly.
The inverse functions (asin, acos, atan) return their answers in whichever mode is active. So in degree mode, asin(0.5) = 30; in radian mode it returns about 0.524. Check the toggle at the top of the calculator if a trig answer looks wrong.
How the parser works
The calculator tokenizes your expression into numbers, operators, functions, parentheses, and constants. It uses the shunting-yard algorithm to convert the infix expression to a postfix (reverse Polish) representation, then walks that representation to compute the result. Each function call validates its own domain (no negative square roots, no log of non-positives, no asin or acos outside [-1, 1], no factorial of a non-integer or a value above 170).
The parser is local and only knows about the operators and functions listed in the supported functions section above. There is no symbolic algebra, no equation solver, and no graphing. For deeper explanations of specific topics, see the linked calculators below.
What this calculator does not do
- No graphing. The calculator produces a numeric answer; it does not plot equations or produce a chart.
- No symbolic algebra. It evaluates numbers, not expressions in terms of variables. There is no x to solve for.
- No CAS. A computer algebra system can simplify, factor, and rearrange symbolic expressions. This calculator only computes numerical values.
- No equation solver. For ax² + bx + c = 0 problems, use the quadratic formula calculator.
For focused explanations of single topics, the dedicated calculators are usually a better fit:
- Exponent calculator for powers, with step-by-step explanations of negative and fractional exponents.
- Log calculator for logarithms in any base, with the change-of-base formula explained.
- Square root calculator for the simplified radical form and the perfect square check.
- Percentage calculator for the three standard percent questions.
- Factor calculator for prime factorization, factor pairs, and GCF.
Worked examples
- sin(30) in degree mode = 0.5.
- cos(π) in radian mode = −1.
- log(1000) = 3.
- ln(e) = 1.
- 2^10 = 1,024.
- sqrt(2) ≈ 1.4142.
- 5! = 120.
- 2π + sin(90) in degree mode ≈ 7.283.
Common mistakes
- Wrong angle mode. If a trig answer looks completely off, switch between Deg and Rad first; that fixes most surprises.
- Confusing log with ln. The button labeled log is base 10; ln is natural log (base e). The log calculator explains the distinction in detail.
- Mismatched parentheses. The error message at the bottom of the display points out the problem. Use the ( and ) buttons to balance.
- Taking a square root or log of a negative or zero value. Those operations are undefined in the real numbers; the calculator flags them rather than returning NaN.
- Factorials over 170. The result would overflow floating-point precision, so the calculator caps the factorial domain.
Related tools
Note. Numeric calculator only. Results use standard floating-point precision and round for display, switching to scientific notation when magnitudes are very large or very small. Domain errors (negative square roots, log of non-positive, asin/acos out of range, factorial out of range, division by zero) are flagged with a clear message rather than rendered as NaN.
Frequently asked questions
A scientific calculator handles the everyday math operations of a basic calculator plus a set of named functions: trigonometric functions (sin, cos, tan), their inverses (asin, acos, atan), logarithms (log base 10, ln natural log), powers and roots (x², xʸ, √, 10ˣ, eˣ), the constants π and e, and factorial. This calculator runs all of those in your browser with no install.
Tap the buttons to build an expression: a number, an operator, another number, and so on. Function buttons like sin( automatically open a parenthesis so you can enter the argument. Use parentheses to control order of operations. Press = to evaluate the expression. Press C to clear or ⌫ to remove the last character.
Degrees split a full circle into 360 equal parts; radians use 2π for the same full circle. The trig functions interpret their inputs differently depending on which mode you pick. sin(30) in degree mode is 0.5; sin(30) in radian mode is about −0.988. Most algebra and trig classes use degrees; calculus and physics tend to use radians. The toggle at the top of the calculator switches between them.
sin, cos, tan, asin, acos, atan, log (base 10), ln (natural log), sqrt, exp (eˣ), 10ˣ, x², xʸ, and n! (factorial). Constants π and e are available. Parentheses control order of operations, and an implicit multiplication is inserted automatically between things like 2π or 2(3+4).
Numbers and operators work like a normal calculator. Functions use parentheses, so sin(30) means sine of 30. The caret ^ is power, so 2^10 means 2 raised to the 10. Square root is sqrt(x). Use parentheses freely to control grouping. The calculator inserts implicit multiplication where it is unambiguous, so 2π and 2(3+4) both work.
It does, but only in degree mode. In radian mode, 180 radians is about 28.6 full revolutions, so the answer is a small number that depends on floating-point precision. Check the angle mode toggle if a trig answer looks wrong; that is almost always the cause.
Invalid expressions raise a helpful error rather than displaying NaN. Common cases include mismatched parentheses, an unknown function name, a divide-by-zero, sqrt of a negative number, log or ln of a non-positive number, asin or acos with an input outside [-1, 1], and factorial of a non-integer or a number larger than 170 (which would overflow). The error appears below the expression display.
No. This calculator handles numeric computation only. It does not graph equations, solve symbolic algebra, or do a computer algebra system. For specific math topics, see the linked calculators on this page: exponent calculator, log calculator, square root calculator, percentage calculator, and factor calculator each explain their topic in depth.
The current build is button-driven for predictability. Tap the on-screen buttons to build expressions. The display shows what you have typed, and the live result updates as you go. Pressing = records the expression in the small recent list on the right.
Results use standard JavaScript double-precision floating point, the same precision used in most browser-based calculators and spreadsheets. The display rounds for readability and switches to scientific notation for very large or very small magnitudes.
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