It is likely that we have all heard of calculators. Some of us use these items everyday in our work. There are even some people that use the scientific calculators every day. There are other individuals that have not been exposed to the scientific calculators and so they ask what this version of adding machine can do that the original version cannot.

Calculators are electronic devices that help us do math problems. The most common type of calculators will do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division for us. They help you to figure percentages, and to add columns of numbers more quickly. They are handy little tools that are often so small that they will fit in a man’s shirt pocket. Some of them are as small as a credit card. We have become accustomed to using these items and very accustomed to having one on hand whenever we need to do work with numbers.

Scientific calculators are also small enough that they can be carried with a person and there are some that are larger desk top versions. Many people need these items when they are in college. Unlike the standard four or five function calculators that you see everywhere you go, these devices do the following things.
• They are capable of scientific notations
• They perform floating point arithmetic equations
• They do logarithmic functions. These will include the base 10 versions and the base e versions
• They perform trigonometric functions
• They perform hyperbolic trigonometry equations
• They have exponential functions
• They can figure roots beyond the square root
• They give the user quick access to constants such as pi and e
• Some perform calculus
• They work in fractions
• Some do statistics and probability calculations
• Some have multi line displays
• They have more digits on their displays, generally ten to twelve digits with extra digits for the floating point exponents

The scientific calculators are not new devices. They were first introduced in 1968 by Hewlett-Packard. They are used in math and science classes. They were once not used as frequently as they are now, but today you will see these items being used in math classrooms of children that are in junior high school and up. This is due in a large part to the fact that there are standardized tests that the children take that allow the use of these devices. Have we become too reliant on adding machines and machines that do our math and science problems for us?

The truth is that the human brain can do the calculations these devices do, and most students are perfectly capable of understanding the processes required to make the calculations. The scientific calculators merely save time, and energy, and allow the scholar to be able to do more, and come to better conclusions more quickly. Using these devices as math tools is not a sign of laziness, but rather it is a sign that we are becoming smarter and more capable of creating tools to do our menial tasks. This leaves us available to do the creative and more complicated tasks.

Calculators http://www.calculators-online.co.uk and scientific calculators http://www.calculators-online.co.uk/subCatAction.do?subCategoryId=prodPage&cat=Scientific are used every day in classrooms, businesses, laboratories, and scientific institutions. They are designed to make the calculations we need to do to complete our work easier to perform.