Scientific calculator
Type an expression or tap the keys, then press = or Enter. The answer is previewed as you type.
Free · no signup Runs in your browser
How do I use a scientific calculator?
Type the whole expression, such as 2 + 3 × 4 or sin(30) + √(16), or build it with the keys, and press = or Enter. The calculator follows the order of operations, so multiplication and division come before addition and subtraction, powers come before both, and brackets override everything: 2 + 3 × 4 is 14, and (2 + 3) × 4 is 20. The result is previewed under the display as you type. Choose degrees, radians or gradians with the DEG key before using trigonometry.
What it can do
The keys cover the functions needed for school, college and everyday technical work. Trigonometry: sin, cos, tan and their inverses, plus the hyperbolic sinh, cosh and tanh. Logarithms and exponentials: ln for the natural logarithm, log for base 10, log₂ for base 2, and eˣ. Roots and powers: √, ∛, x², xʸ and 1/x. Others: n! for the factorial, |x| for the absolute value, mod for the remainder, % for a hundredth, π and e as constants, and Ans for the previous answer. You can type the names directly, too, for example asin(0.5), log2(8) or 5!.
The angle mode matters. In DEG mode sin(30) is 0.5, because 30 is read as degrees; in RAD mode sin(30) is −0.988 because 30 is read as radians; in GRAD mode 100 is a right angle. The inverse functions give their answers in the same unit. A school exercise on triangles almost always wants degrees, while calculus wants radians. Results for angles such as sin(180°), which a computer would return as 1.2e−16, are shown as exactly 0.
It runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere, and there is no sign-up.
Order of operations and shortcuts
Operations are worked in this order: brackets; functions; factorial and percent; powers, from the right (2^3^2 is 2^9 = 512); a minus sign in front of a power, so −2^2 is −4; multiplication, division and mod from the left; then addition and subtraction from the left. A number next to a bracket or a function means multiplication, so 2(3 + 4) is 14, 3π is 9.42478 and 2sin(30) is 1. A missing closing bracket at the end is added for you. After you press =, start the next line with an operator, such as +5, and it continues from the last answer.
Percent is a postfix: 50% is 0.5, and 200 × 10% is 20. To take a percentage off, write 200 − 200 × 10%. For quick everyday sums the online calculator is simpler. The answers are shown to 12 significant digits, and very large or small ones switch to exponent form such as 1.5e20, which you can convert with the scientific notation converter.
When to use it
- Trigonometry, logarithm and exponent problems
- Physics, chemistry and engineering calculations
- Checking homework with brackets and powers
- Any sum that needs the order of operations
Mistakes it helps you avoid
- Leaving the calculator in radians when the problem is in degrees.
- Typing 1/2π and expecting 1 ÷ (2π): it is read left to right as (1/2) × π.
- Forgetting the brackets around a negative number raised to a power.
- Treating % as a modulo: use mod for the remainder.
The formula
How the answer is worked out.
order of operations: ( ) → functions → ! and % → powers (right to left) → × ÷ mod → + −angles: DEG uses x × π ÷ 180; GRAD uses x × π ÷ 200; RAD uses x as it islog is base 10; ln is base e; log₂ is base 2; n! needs a whole number from 0 to 170the expression is read by a parser written for this page; nothing is passed to eval
Numbers are double-precision (about 15 to 16 digits) and answers are shown to 12 significant digits. Factorials above 170! overflow. Complex numbers are not supported: the square root of a negative number is reported as 'Not a real number'. tan at exactly 90° and similar points is reported as undefined.
Example: a sloping roof
A roof rises at 30° over a horizontal run of 6 m. How long is the rafter?
- Type (DEG mode)6 ÷ cos(30)
- Result6.92820323
The rafter is about 6.93 m long
Check: √(6² + 3.464²) = 6.928.
Terms on this page
- Radian
- An angle unit: π radians is 180 degrees.
- Natural logarithm
- The logarithm to base e, written ln.
- Factorial
- n! is the product of the whole numbers from 1 to n.
Common questions
How do I switch between degrees and radians?
Press the DEG key to cycle through DEG, RAD and GRAD.
Does it follow the order of operations?
Yes: brackets, functions, powers, multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction.
How do I take the log of a number?
log(x) is base 10 and ln(x) is the natural log. For another base use ln(x) ÷ ln(base).
What is Ans?
The previous answer, which you can use in the next expression.
Is anything stored or sent?
No. The history stays on the page.
Is anything I enter sent to a server?
No. The calculation happens in your browser and nothing you type leaves your device.
Where these numbers come from
- Wikipedia — Order of operations The rules for evaluating an expression.
- Wikipedia — Trigonometric functions Sine, cosine, tangent and their inverses.
- Wikipedia — Radian Why angles in calculus use radians.
- Wikipedia — Gradian The unit that makes a right angle 100.
- Wikipedia — Logarithm Base-10, natural and other logarithms.
- MDN Web Docs — Math The browser's maths functions used for the results.
Last verified 2026-10-25 The method on this page is checked against the sources above at least once a year. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
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