Getting Started 1–15
Keying in Exponents of Ten
Use
a
(exponent) to key in numbers multiplied by powers of ten. For example,
take Planck's constant, 6.6261
×
10
–34
:
1. Key in the mantissa (the non–exponent part) of the number. If the mantissa is
negative, press
^
after keying in its digits.
Keys: Display:
6.6261
)
_
2. Press
a
. Notice that the cursor moves behind the
:
a
)
_
3. Key in the exponent. (The largest possible exponent is ±499.) If the exponent is
negative, press
^
after you key in the
or after you key in the value of the
exponent:
34
^
)
.
_
For a power of ten without a multiplier, such as 10
34
, just press
a
34. The
calculator displays
.
Other Exponent Functions
To calculate an exponent of ten (the base 10 antilogarithm), use
{
. To
calculate the result of any number raised to a power (exponentiation), use
(see chapter 4).
Understanding Digit Entry
As you key in a number, the cursor (_) appears in the display. The cursor shows
you where the next digit will go; it therefore indicates that the number is not
complete.
