Scientific Calculator
Evaluate bounded real-number expressions with powers, roots, logs, factorials, and trigonometry.
Content updated August 3, 2026
Supported notation
Operators: + − * / ^ !
Functions: sin cos tan asin acos atan, sqrt ln log exp abs floor ceil round
Constants: pi and e. Parentheses and scientific notation such as 1.2e-4 are supported.
This bounded evaluator handles real numbers only. It uses JavaScript floating-point arithmetic, so very long decimal results are approximations. It does not support variables, complex numbers, implicit multiplication, or calculator memory.
Evaluate a complete scientific expression with conventional operator precedence rather than entering one operation at a time. Parentheses, exponents, factorials, square roots, logarithms, exponential functions, absolute values, rounding functions, trigonometry, and the constants pi and e are supported.
Choose degrees or radians for trigonometric inputs and inverse-trigonometric outputs. Multiplication must be explicit—write 2*pi rather than 2pi—so the parser can reject ambiguous or unsupported notation instead of silently guessing.
The Scientific formula
Parentheses → factorial → right-associated powers → unary signs → multiplication/division → addition/subtractionTrig inputs and inverse-trig outputs follow the selected angle unit; log is base 10, ln is base e, and ! is defined for whole numbers from 0 through 170.
Worked example
In degree mode, sin(30)^2 + cos(30)^2 evaluates to 0.5² + (√3/2)² = 1. In radians mode, sin(pi/2) evaluates to 1.
Assumptions, rounding, and limitations
Assumptions
- The expression is intended to produce a real-number result.
- Multiplication is written explicitly with an asterisk.
- The selected degree or radian mode applies to every trigonometric function in the expression.
- round(x) resolves halfway cases away from zero; floor and ceil retain their mathematical direction.
Rounding: Evaluation uses double-precision floating-point arithmetic. The main result shows up to 12 decimal places, switching to scientific notation below 10⁻⁹ or at 10¹² and above; round applies an integer half-away-from-zero rule.
Limitations
- Expressions are limited to 240 characters and 200 tokens, factorial to integers from 0 through 170, and result magnitude to 10³⁰⁰.
- Does not support implicit multiplication, percentages, variables, assignments, memory, matrices, complex numbers, units, symbolic algebra, graphing, or arbitrary precision.
- Floating-point approximation and very sensitive trigonometric inputs can produce small numeric differences from exact symbolic values.
Sources
- SI Brochure, Section 5: Units outside the SI — National Institute of Standards and Technology
- Trigonometric Functions — NIST Digital Library of Mathematical Functions
- Inverse Trigonometric Functions — NIST Digital Library of Mathematical Functions
Expression order and supported functions
Parentheses are evaluated first, followed by postfix factorial, right-associative powers, unary signs, multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction. Therefore 2^3^2 means 2^(3^2), while −2^2 means −(2^2).
The function log means base 10 and ln means the natural logarithm. Factorial accepts whole numbers from 0 through 170. Domain errors such as division by zero, sqrt(−1), log(0), asin(2), or tan(90°) are announced instead of producing a misleading result.
Degrees, radians, and numeric precision
NIST defines the degree in relation to the radian: one complete revolution is 360 degrees or 2π radians. In degree mode, the tool converts sin, cos, and tan inputs to radians internally and converts asin, acos, and atan outputs back to degrees.
Calculations use IEEE 754 double-precision floating-point numbers. Results can therefore contain a small representation error; the main display shows up to 12 decimal places or scientific notation for very large or very small values.
Frequently asked questions
▶Does sin(30) use degrees or radians?
It uses the selected angle mode. The default is degrees, so sin(30) is 0.5; in radians mode, 30 is interpreted as 30 radians.
▶What is the difference between log and ln?
log(x) is the base-10 logarithm, while ln(x) is the natural logarithm with base e. Both require a positive real input.
▶How do I multiply by pi?
Use explicit multiplication, such as 2*pi or pi/4. Writing 2pi is rejected rather than interpreted automatically.
▶How are powers associated?
Powers associate from the right, so 2^3^2 is evaluated as 2^(3^2) and returns 512.
▶Can this calculator handle complex numbers?
No. It is intentionally limited to finite real-number results and rejects operations outside the real domain.
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Open calculator →Disclaimer: Scientific Calculator results are estimates for general information and education only, and are not financial, tax, legal or medical advice. Verify important decisions with a qualified professional.