Modern calculators

Calculator

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A calculatoris a device used for making calculations. Modern calculators often incorporate general-purpose computing systems, however, they are usually designed to execute specific functions. For instance, graphing calculators focus on graph-centered math like trigonometry, statistics and so on. Furthermore, modern calculators tend to be more portable than most computers even though some personal electronic assistants (PDAs) are comparable in terms of size to hand held calculators.

As calculatorsare tiny, in the future, devices that are smaller than credit cards can perform the similar calculations as today's large scientific calculators. Another option is similar to a handheld computer which has notations that are not entered by buttons, but rather written on screens. This would mean that the requirement for buttons could be eliminated , and the size of the device will be reduced.

Overview

in the past mechanical clerical aids such as abaci, comptometers and Napier's bones, mathematical books, charts, slides or mechanical adding machines were used to do numeric work. The word "calculator" denoted a person who did such work for a living employing such aids as well as pen and paper. The semi-manual process of calculation was tedious and error-prone.

Modern calculators are powered by electricity and are available in an array of dimensions and shapes, ranging from inexpensive, giveaway, credit card-sized models to more robust models with integrated printers.

Electronic calculators

In the past calculators were as large as those used today. First, mechanical calculators used mechanical desktop calculators, which were later replaced by electromechanical desktop calculators and later by electronic devices that used first thermionic valves, then transistors, followed by hard-wired circuit logic. Today, the majority of calculators are handheld microelectronic devices.

Basic configuration

The sophistication of calculators is contingent with the intended purpose. A simple modern calculator might include the following elements:

• A source of power that is a battery or a solar panel or both
• A display, made from LED lights and liquid crystal (LCD) capable of showing a range of numbers (typically either 8 or 10.)
• Electronic circuitry
• Keypad that includes:
  • The ten digits, from 0 through 9
  • The decimal point
  • The equals sign, to call for the answer
  • The four arithmetic functions (namely subtraction, subtraction, multiplication and division)
  • A cancel button to end the current calculation
  • To turn off or on, click the buttons.
  • Other fundamental functions including square root and the percentage (%).
• Some models with more advanced features may include a memory of one number, which is able to be used whenever it is needed. It could also come with a Cancel Entry buttonthat will remove the numbers currently entered.

In the last decade, simple calculators have been fitted in smaller devices like cell phones, pagesters, or wrist watches.

Electronic calculators with advanced technology

Advanced scientific calculators include trigonometric, statistical, as well as additional mathematical capabilities. The most sophisticated modern calculators can display graphics, and also include features from computers algebra systems. They are also programmeable. calculators include algebraic equation solvers financial models, as well as games. Many calculators of this kind will print numbers with up to 10 decimal points or digits in full on the screen. Scientific notation can be used to indicate numbers up to 9.999999999*10 ⁹⁹. If a greater number or a mathematical formula yielding more than this is entered (a popular example is entering "100! ", read as "100 factorial") then the calculator will display "error."

"Error" is also displayed in the event that a function or operation is mathematically unclear or mathematically. For instance, division using zero, or roots of negative numbers (most scientific calculators don't permit complex numbers, although some expensive ones do have specific functions for working with complex numbers). A few, but not all, calculators are able to recognize these two types of "error," though when they do, it's difficult for the user to comprehend because they're usually listed as "error 1" or "error 2."

A few companies create and manufacture modern high-end finance and engineering calculators the most well-known include Casio, Sharp, Hewlett-Packard (HP) as well as Texas Instruments (TI). Calculators like these are great example of embedded software.