Modern calculators

Calculator

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The calculator is an instrument used for doing calculations. These days, most calculators incorporate general-purpose computing technology, however, they are usually designed for specific purposes. For instance, graphing calculators focus on graph-oriented math, like trigonometry and statistical. Also, modern calculators are more portable than most computers However, some personal digital assistants (PDAs) are comparable in size and size to hand-held calculators.

Since calculators are tiny, in the future, devices that are smaller than credit cards may perform the exact calculations that are currently used in large scientific calculators. Another possibility is similar to a handheld calculator which has notations that do not require buttons, but written directly on a screen. This would mean that the requirement for buttons will be eliminated , and the size of the device would be further reduced.

Overview

In the past, clerical tools made of mechanical such as abaci, comptometers and Napier's bones, books of mathematical table, slide rule, or mechanical addition machines were used to perform numeric calculations. The word "calculator" denoted a person who performed such work for a living , using such aids as well as writing instruments and pen. The semi-manual procedure of calculation was tedious and error-prone.

Modern calculators are electrically powered and come in various designs and sizes, from basic, give-away credit card sized models up to robust adding machines--like models that have integrated printers.

Electronic calculators

In the past, calculators were as massive as those used today. The first mechanical calculators were mechanical desktop devices, which quickly replaced by electromechanical calculators for desktops, and afterward, electronic devices made use of first thermionics valves, and then transistors, later hard-wired integrated circuit logic. Today, most calculators are hand held microelectronic devices.

Basic configuration

The degree of sophistication of calculators varies according to their purpose. A simple modern calculator might comprise the following parts:

• A source of power like a battery or solar panel, or both
• A displaythat is typically constructed by LEDs (LCD) or LED lights (LCD), capable of showing any number of digits (typically 8 , 10 or)
• Electronic circuitry
• A keypad containing:
  • The ten digits, from 0 through 9
  • The decimal point
  • The equals sign, which is used to provide a prompt for the answer
  • The four arithmetic functions (namely subtraction multiplication, division and subtraction)
  • A cancel button, which will clear the current calculation
  • The buttons for on and off
  • Other fundamental functions include square root and percentage (%).
• Advanced models could have one-number memory that may be recalled if needed. The device may also have the Cancel entry button, which can clear the current numbers being entered.

Since the 1980s, simple calculators have been installed in other small devices, such as pagesrs, mobile phones, or wrist watches.

Electronic calculators with advanced technology

More complex scientific calculators support trigonometric, statistical and various mathematical features. Modern, high-end calculators can display graphics and also include features from computer algebra systems. They can also be programmed. calculators include solvers for algebraic equations as well as financial models and even games. The majority of calculators can print numbers that are up to ten digits or decimal places in full on the screen. Scientific notation can be used to indicate numbers of up to 9.999999999*10 ⁹⁹. If a bigger number or a mathematical equation that returns more than the number entered (a common example comes from typing "100! ", read as "100 factorial") then the calculator will display "error."

"Error" is also displayed when a function or procedure isn't mathematically understood; for example, division by zero , or even roots of negative numbers (most scientific calculators do not accept complex numbers although a few expensive ones have specific functions for working with them). A few, but certainly not all calculators are able to recognize these two types of "error," though when they do, they are not easy for the user to comprehend since they're typically referred to either "error 1" or "error 2."

A few companies create and make modern professional finance and engineering calculators: The most well-known are Casio, Sharp, Hewlett-Packard (HP), and Texas Instruments (TI). Calculators like these are great instances of embedded system.