Scientific Calculator
Calculate basic arithmetic, square roots, powers, percentages and expressions with parentheses or pi. Free scientific calculator with keyboard support.
Scientific & Basic Calculator: Simple Math, Explained
Use basic arithmetic and essential scientific functions for shopping, home projects, schoolwork and quick comparisons. Calculations run in your browser without saving or sending your expressions. Results show up to 15 significant digits; floating-point arithmetic is an estimate, not exact accounting.
Order of operations: PEMDAS and BODMAS
- Brackets first. Parentheses group calculations: (2 + 3) × 4 = 20, but 2 + 3 × 4 = 14. PEMDAS means Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition and Subtraction. BODMAS uses Brackets and Orders for the same idea.
- Powers, then multiplication and division. Evaluate powers and square roots before ordinary products and sums. Multiplication and division have equal priority and run left to right: 20 ÷ 5 × 2 = 8.
- Addition and subtraction last. These also share priority and run left to right. Powers group right to left: 2^3^2 = 512. A leading minus applies after powers: -2^2 = -4, while (-2)^2 = 4.
Practical everyday examples
- Shopping and percentages. For three items at 12.50 plus delivery of 5, enter 3 × 12.50 + 5 = 42.50. To find 10% of 200, enter 200 × 10% = 20. A relative discount is 200 − 10% = 180; adding 10% gives 220.
- Rooms and circles. A room 4 by 3 has area 4 × 3 = 12 square units. A circle with radius 3 has area π × 3^2 ≈ 28.2743 square units. Keep measurement units consistent.
- Roots and powers. √(81) = 9 because 9 × 9 = 81. Enter 2^5 = 32 for repeated multiplication. Square roots of negative numbers and division by zero do not produce a finite real-number result here.
Keyboard shortcuts
- Enter an expression. Focus the expression field and type digits, +, -, *, /, ^, %, parentheses and a decimal point or comma. Type pi for π and sqrt( for √(. Paste a plain mathematical expression if needed.
- Calculate and edit. Press Enter or = to calculate. Escape clears everything. Backspace deletes the previous character; Delete edits at the cursor. The on-screen keys support mouse, touch, Tab and Enter or Space.
- Continue from a result. After calculating, an operator continues from the result; a digit starts a new calculation. Click in the expression field to edit the previous expression instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a basic or scientific calculator?
Both. Use +, −, × and ÷ for everyday arithmetic, or add roots, powers, pi and parentheses. Trigonometry, logarithms and complex numbers are not included.
How does the percentage key work?
A standalone percentage means divide by 100: 50% = 0.5. Multiplication uses that fraction: 200 × 10% = 20. When directly added or subtracted, the percentage is relative to the preceding base: 200 + 10% = 220 and 200 − 10% = 180.
Can I use a decimal comma?
Yes. The expression accepts a point or comma as the decimal separator. Do not use thousands separators. Results follow the page language’s number formatting.
Why do I see an error?
Check missing operands, unmatched parentheses or unsupported characters. Division by zero, negative square roots and overflowing results are invalid; shorten very long expressions.
How precise are the results?
The calculator uses floating-point numbers and rounds the displayed result to at most 15 significant digits to reduce visible rounding noise. For financial records, use a dedicated accounting method.
What does π mean?
Pi is approximately 3.141592653589793, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Circle area is π × radius² and circumference is 2 × π × radius.