Using Calculator
As you have learned, Calculator is another one of Windows’ handy Personal Information Managers. In this lesson, you will learn how to start and close Calculator, and how to work in its two operating modes.
The
Calculator Application
The Calculator accessory application has two operating modes – standard and scientific. On-screen, Calculator appears in its own window, and its title bar reads Calculator. Both the standard calculator and the scientific calculator offer the same three menu options: Edit, View, and Help.
You can minimize Calculator to a button on the taskbar, but the Calculator has no Maximize button. The Calculator window cannot be resized.
In either calculator mode, you can use the mouse or the keyboard to enter numbers and arithmetic operators for your calculation. If you want to use the keyboard, you must enter numbers and arithmetic operators on the numeric keypad (located to the right of your alphabetic keyboard). Just turn on Num lock to activate the numeric keypad.
The standard calculator can compute addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, as well as square roots, percentages, and reciprocals. The scientific calculator is capable of very complex computations. The scientific calculator works the same as the standard calculator but contains 30 or more advanced mathematical features. Both calculators can store data in memory.
Opening and
Closing Calculator
To open Calculator, click its icon on the Accessories menu. Whether Calculator opens in the standard or in the scientific mode depends on its last setting. When you want to change the mode, select the Standard or the Scientific option on the Views menu. To close Calculator, simply click its Close button.
Step-by-Step 2.1
- Click Calculator on the Accessories menu to open the Calculator window.
- Select Scientific from the View menu. Notice that the scientific calculator has more buttons than a standard handheld calculator.
- Select Standard from the View menu.
Using the Standard
Calculator
To operate Calculator, press the appropriate buttons, using either the mouse or the numeric keypad. This is one Windows application where you may find that using the mouse is not easier, at least not until you get used to it. Using the mouse, you select number and function keys by clicking the keys displayed on the calculator on your screen. Numbers appear in the display window as your select them or as Calculator computes them.
Using the numeric keypad, press the appropriate numbers and arithmetic operators on the 10-key pad. Be sure Num Lock is on before you begin to use the numeric keypad. (A light should display around Num Lock on your keyboard.) Notice all the basic arithmetic operators (/, *, -, +) appear on the keypad. See Table 2-1 for a list of the function you can use to edit the display or to perform calculations using the keyboard or a mouse on both the standard and the scientific calculators.
Table 2-1 Keyboard and mouse Calculator functions in both standard and scientific mode.
|
Press |
Click |
To |
|
+ |
+ |
Add |
|
- |
- |
Subtract |
|
* |
* |
Multiply |
|
/ |
/ |
Divide |
|
= or Enter |
= |
Execute an operation |
|
Delete |
CE |
Clear last function or displayed number |
|
Backspace or left arrow |
Back |
Delete the last number in the displayed value |
|
Esc |
C |
Clear the current calculation |
|
Ctrl+L |
MC |
Clear (erase) the value in memory |
|
Ctrl + M |
MS |
Store displayed value in memory |
|
Ctrl + R |
MR |
Recall value from memory and retain the value in memory |
|
Ctrl + P |
M+ |
Add displayed value to current value in memory and place result in memory |
|
@[shift +2] |
Sqrt |
Compute square root of displayed number |
|
%[shift + 5] |
% |
Calculate the current value as a percentage |
|
F9 |
+/- |
Change the sign of the displayed number |
|
. |
. |
Insert a decimal point in the displayed number |
|
R |
1/x |
Calculate the reciprocal of the displayed number |
Note that for division, you press the / key or click the slash (/) button; for multiplication, you press the * key or click the asterisk (*) button. If you make a mistake, you can erase the last digit or arithmetic operator from the display by pressing the Backspace key or clicking the Backspace button Continue erasing one character at a time.
To clear the last entry in a series of entries, press Delete or click the CE (Clear Entry) button. For example, if you are adding a series of numbers and make a mistake on the third entry, simply click the CE button immediately after entering the incorrect number; then reenter the last number. Your need not start over. To clear the calculator entirely and return the display to 0, Press the Esc key or Click the C button.
The simplest way to learn to use Calculator is to practice. In the following Step-by-Step, you will use both the mouse and the keyboard.
Step-by-Step 2.2
- Compute the sum of 4 + 2:
- Click 4 and then +. The number 4 appears in the display.
- Click 2 and then click =. The answer 6 appears in the display.
- Compute the remainder of 100 – 60;
- Click 100 and then -. The number 100 appears in the display.
- Click 60 and then click =. The answer 40 appears in the display.
- Compute the product of 50 X 3;
- Click 50 and then *. The number 50 appears in the display.
- Click 3 and then click =. The answer 150 appears in the display.
- Compute the quotient of 100/25 (100 divided by 25).
- Click 100 and then /. The number 100 appears in the display.
- Click 25 and then =. The answer 4 appears in the display.
Step-by-Step 2.3
- Find 28% of 75:
- Key 75 and then *. The number 75 appears in the display.
- Key .28 and then press Enter. The answer 21 appears in the display.
- Find the square root of 144:
- Key 144.
- Press @. The answer 12 appears in the display.
- Press Esc to clear all numbers and functions.
Using Memory
Functions
Calculator’s memory buttons (MC, MR, MS, and M+) on both the standard and the scientific calculator let you save or store numbers in memory for later use or to accumulate totals. New values paced in memory either add to or replace the old values. To store then number in the display in memory, click the M+ button. To save the result of a calculated number, click the MS (memory store) button after the result is calculated. To recall a stored number from memory, click the MR (memory recall) button.
The memory function is especially useful when you want to multiply or divide a number of values by the same amount. Storing that amount in memory allows you to easily use it again and again.
Step-by-Step 2.4
- Compute the sum of (15X23) + (224/16):
- Key 15 and then *; key 23 and then press Enter. The answer 345 appears in the display.
- Key Ctrl + P. The letter M appears in the display above the memory function buttons.
- Key 224 and then /; key 16 and then press Enter. The answer 14 appears in the display.
- Key Ctrl + P. The 14 remains in the display.
- Key Ctrl + R. The number 359 appears in the display.
- Key Ctrl + L to clear the memory.
- Press Esc to clear the display.
- Compute the earnings at $5.50 an hour of for 32.5, 43, and 27 hours:
- Key 5.5 and then Ctrl + P. The letter M appears in the display window above the memory function buttons.
- Key 32.5 and then *. The value 32.5 appears in the display window.
- Key Ctrl + R. The memory value 5.5 appears in the display window.
- Press Enter. The result, 178.75, appears in the display window. The answer is $178.75.
- Key 43 and then *. The value 43 appears in the display window.
- Key Ctrl + R. The memory value 5.5 appears in the display window.
- Press Enter. The result 236.5 appears in the display window. The answer is $236.50.
- Key 27 and then *. The value 27 appears in the display window.
- Key Ctrl + R. The memory value 5.5 appears in the display window.
- Press Enter. The result 148.5 appears in the display window. The answer is $148.50.
- Clear the memory and display.
Using the
Scientific Mode
The scientific calculator performs all the arithmetic functions of the standard calculator plus these advanced functions:
- Exponential and logarithmic operations
- Trigonometric calculations
- Arithmetic calculations in the binary, octal, and hexadecimal number systems.
- Statistical calculations such as average and standard deviation.
If
you need such specialized features, you should explore them in detail on your
own.
Using the Statistics Box
The scientific calculator’s statistics feature makes working with a long series of numbers much easier. When you click the statistics button, Sta a separate window opens that displays a running tally, similar to an adding machine’s paper tape, as shown in Figure 2-2. Thus, the Statistics Box can be used for many functions unrelated to statistics.
To use the Statistics Box, display the scientific calculator, and then click the Sta button. The Statistics Box window always opens on top of the scientific calculator window. You will have to drag the Statistics Box off the calculator in order to use the calculator.
To transfer a number to the Statistics Box from the scientific calculator’s display, pres the Insert key on the keyboard, or click the Dat key on the Calculator display.
To obtain statistical information about the sum of a list of number, click one of the three statistical functions that appear below the Sta Button on the scientific calculator:
- Ave calculates and displays the average of the numbers in the list.
- Sum ads the numbers in the list and display the sum.
- S calculates the standard deviation, using a population parameter of n-1. To use a population parameter on n, select Inv before pressing s.
At the bottom center of the Statistics Box, you always see the total number of items (n=) in the list. When the list is blank, your see n=0; as numbers are entered, n increases.
Using command buttons in the Statistics Box
The four command buttons in the Statistics Box help you to insert and delete entries and to control interaction with the Calculator.
- RET switches the active window to the Calculator without closing the Statistics Box. To return to the Statistics Box, click the Sta button, or click the Statistics Box to make it the active window.
- LOAD makes the Calculator window display the number that is currently selected in the Statistics Box window
- CD deletes the selected number form the Statistics Box window.
- CAD deletes all numbers from the Statistics Box window.
Step-by-Step 2.5
- Select Scientific from the View menu to display the scientific calculator.
- Click the Sta button to open the Statistics Box window.
- Drag the Statistics Box window so you can see if as well as the main Calculator window.
- Click the Calculator window to make it active.
- Key 80 and the press Insert. (Be sure to press the key labeled Insert and not the one labeled Ins.) The value 80 is displayed in the Calculator window and in the Statistics Box window.
- Key 85 and then press Insert. The value 85 is displayed in the Calculator window and below the value 80 in the Statistics box.
- Key 70 and then press Insert. The value 70 is displayed in the Statistics Box window.
- Now that you have entered all the numbers for your problem, you can calculate the mean of the values. Click the Ave button on the main calculator. The arithmetic mean, 78.333, displays in the Calculator window.
- Click the CAD button n the Statistics Box window to clear all numbers.
- Click the Close button of the Statistics Box window to close the window.
- Clear the value in the Calculator’s display window, and switch back to the standard calculator.
Using
Calculator with Other Programs
Calculator’s value is not limited to its uses as a computation tool. You can use Calculator it paste Calculator results into other program, and you can paste numbers from other programs into Calculator.
If, for example, you need to total numbers in Notepad as you compose your document, key the numbers as a formula followed by an equal sign. Then copy the formula and the equal sign to the Calculator via the Clipboard, get the result, and paste the result back into the Notepad document.
Step-by-Step 2.6
- Open Notepad.
- Put the standard school heading at the top. The 4th line of the header should be the file name. Refer to #13 below.
- Key the following text (do not press Enter):
The amount of vacation pay is computed by adding your regular pay and
your minimum commission amount. For
example, your vacation pay for next week will be 320+120=
- Click an insertion point immediately before the number 3 in the value 320 and drag across the formula up to and including the = sign.
- Select Copy from the Edit menu. The calculation is copied to the Clipboard.
- Make the Calculator active.
- Select Paste from the Edit menu. The numbers in the calculation are inserted into the calculator and the sum, 440, appears in the calculator display.
- Select Copy from the Calculator Edit menu.
- Switch back to the Notepad document and click an insertion point after the equal sign.
- Select Paste from the Edit menu. The sum, 440, is pasted in the document. End the sentence with a period.
- Make sure that all the settings are the default settings. Click on Format, Font the settings should be – Lucida Console, Regular, 10.
- Proofread your document. Add dollar signs to money entries. Put spaces where needed in the equation.
- Save the Notepad document as Billing Calculated lastnameinitial in 2 places.
- Maximize it. Then, print a copy of it. Record that you printed on your work habits paper.