What This Scientific Calculator Can Do
This free online scientific calculator supports the full range of functions needed for algebra, trigonometry, pre-calculus, and basic engineering calculations. It handles arithmetic operations, exponentiation, trigonometric functions (sin, cos, tan in radians), inverse functions, logarithms (base 10 and natural log), square roots, and the constants π and e — everything you'd find on a standard scientific calculator, in your browser with no download or sign-up required.
Trigonometry: Working in Radians
This calculator's trig functions (sin, cos, tan) accept angles in radians, which is the standard in mathematics and most scientific contexts. If you have an angle in degrees, convert it first: multiply by π/180. Common conversions to memorize: 30° = π/6 ≈ 0.5236 radians; 45° = π/4 ≈ 0.7854; 60° = π/3 ≈ 1.0472; 90° = π/2 ≈ 1.5708; 180° = π ≈ 3.1416.
Key trig values to know: sin(0) = 0, sin(π/6) = 0.5, sin(π/2) = 1. cos(0) = 1, cos(π/3) = 0.5, cos(π/2) = 0. tan(π/4) = 1. These come up constantly in physics, engineering, and calculus problems.
Logarithms: log vs ln
log (base 10) answers the question: "10 to what power equals this number?" log(100) = 2 because 10² = 100. log(1000) = 3. log(1) = 0. ln (natural log, base e) answers: "e to what power equals this number?" ln(e) = 1. ln(1) = 0. ln(e²) = 2. Natural logarithms appear throughout calculus, physics, and financial mathematics — compound interest, radioactive decay, and population growth all use ln.
To convert between bases: log base b of x = ln(x) / ln(b). To calculate log base 2 of 32: ln(32) / ln(2) = 3.466 / 0.693 = 5. This is the change of base formula, and this calculator handles it through the ln and log functions.
Exponents and the ^ Operator
Use ^ for powers: 2^10 = 1024, 3^4 = 81, 5^0.5 = √5 ≈ 2.236. Negative exponents: 2^-3 = 1/8 = 0.125. Fractional exponents are equivalent to roots: x^(1/3) is the cube root of x. Combine with parentheses for complex expressions: (2+3)^2 = 25. The calculator evaluates full expressions before returning a result, so you can chain multiple operations with parentheses for precision.