Calculator

Basics
The TI-30XS MultiView Scientific Calculator, pictured at the top of this page, is the official calculator of the GED. The GED provides an on-screen TI-30XS MultiView Scientific Calculator during the test, but you will need the handheld TI-30XS MultiView Scientific Calculator while you study before the test, especially outside of class. As a supplement to the on-screen calculator, you should bring your own handheld calculator for use at the test. No other brand of handheld calculator is allowed. The TI-30XS MultiView Scientific Calculator is available for about $20.00 from many different vendors, including Amazon, Best Buy, Office Depot, Staples, and Walmart, to name a few.

GED.com provides several study materials regarding the calculator, including the following:
• calculator tutorial – english
• calculator tutorial – spanish
• on-screen calculator video – english
• on-screen calculator video – spanish
• calculator reference sheet – english
• calculator reference sheet – spanish
• mathematics formula sheet – english
• mathematics formula sheet – spanish
• mathematics symbol selector

The calculator is utilized mainly in the Mathematical Reasoning module, but also sees action in the Social Studies and Science modules.

Clearing
clear
At the start of a new calculation, clear the screen.
If you make an error entering a calculation, start over and clear the screen.
When in doubt, start over and clear the screen.

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

		Clearing

Number Sense
Number Sense means knowing your way around numbers.

Number Sense’s core skills involve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

5 + 3	5+3	Addition

	8	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

6 – 4	6-4	Subtraction

	2	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

5 × 7	5*7	Multiplication

	35	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

72 ÷ 8	72÷8	Division

	9	Answer

		Number Sense

Negatives
(-)
The (-) button is used for calculating with negative numbers (numbers less than zero).

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

5 + 3	5+ ^—3	Addition

	2	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

6 – 4	6- ^—4	Subtraction

	10	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

5 × 7	5* ^—7	Multiplication

	^—35	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

72 ÷ 8	72÷ ^—8	Division

	^—9	Answer

		Negatives

Decimals
decimal
The decimal button is used frequently.

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

5 + 3	5+.3	Addition

	5.3	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

6 – 4	6-.4	Subtraction

	5.6	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

5 × 7	5*.7	Multiplication

	3.5	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

72 ÷ 8	72÷.8	Division

	90	Answer

		Decimals

Percent

activates above

% is primarily a multiplier.

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

5 × 3	5%*3	Multiplication

	0.15	Answer

		Percent

Fractions
$fraction$
A calculator operation with fractions produces an answer in fraction form.

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

$fraction$ 1 2 + $fraction$ 1 4	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{2}$ + $\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{4}$	Addition

	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{3}{4}$	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

$fraction$ 1 2 – $fraction$ 1 4	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{2}$ – $\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{4}$	Subtraction

	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{4}$	Answer
	blinker	clears screen

$fraction$ 1 2 × $fraction$ 1 4	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{2}$ * $\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{4}$	Multiplication

	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{8}$	Answer
	blinker	clears screen

$fraction$ 1 2 ÷ $fraction$ 1 4	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{2}$ ÷ $\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{4}$	Division

	2	Answer

		Fractions

Mixed Fractions (also known as Mixed Numbers)

activates above $fraction$

A calculator operation with mixed fractions produces an answer in fraction form.

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

1 1 2 + 1 1 4	$\bf\displaystyle1\frac{1}{2}$ + $\bf\displaystyle1\frac{1}{4}$	Addition

	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{11}{4}$	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

1 1 2 – 1 1 4	$\bf\displaystyle1\frac{1}{2}$ – $\bf\displaystyle1\frac{1}{4}$	Subtraction

	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{4}$	Answer
	blinker	clears screen


1 1 2 × 1 1 4	$\bf\displaystyle1\frac{1}{2}$ * $\bf\displaystyle1\frac{1}{4}$	Multiplication

	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{15}{8}$	Answer
	blinker	clears screen


1 1 2 ÷ 1 1 4	$\bf\displaystyle1\frac{1}{2}$ ÷ $\bf\displaystyle1\frac{1}{4}$	Division

	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{6}{5}$	Answer

		Mixed Fractions

Square
square
Number Squared = Number² = Number × Itself

3 squared = 3² = 3 × 3 = 9

In order to get the correct answer when squaring a negative number, place the negative number in parentheses to protect the order of operations.
Right: -3 squared = (-3)² = 9
Wrong: -3 squared = -3² = -9

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

3	3²	3 squared

	9	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

-3	(-3)²	-3 squared Parentheses protect order of operations.

	9	Answer

		Number²

Square Root

activates above

Square Root = √Number² = √Number × Itself

Square Root of 9 = √9 = √3² = √3 × 3 = 3

Sometimes, by using factoring, the calculator will produce an answer that retains the square root symbol:
Square Root of 48 = 4√3

When an answer shows √ immediately adjacent to a number, an invisible multiplication sign is in force:
4 × √3 = 4√3

The root sign √ is also known as the radical sign.

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

9	√9	Square Root of 9

	3	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

48	√48	Square Root of 48

	4√3	Answer

		Square Root

Power
power
Number^Power

The term power refers to how many times a number is multiplied by itself.
7 to the power of 5 = 7⁵ = 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 = 16807
7 to the power of -5 = 7^-5 = $\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{7}$ × $\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{7}$ × $\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{7}$ × $\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{7}$ × $\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{7}$ = 0.000059499

In order to get the correct answer when calculating the power of a negative number, place the negative number in parentheses to protect the order of operations.
Right: -7 to the power of 4 = (-7)⁴ = 2401
Wrong: -7 to the power of 4 = -7⁴ = -2401

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

7 4	7⁴	7 to the power of 4

	2401	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

-7 4	(-7)⁴	-7 to the power of 4 Parentheses protect order of operations.
	2401	Answer

		Power

Root
root

activates above

^Root√Number

The root sign √ is also known as the radical sign.

Third Root of 343 = ³√343 = ³√7³ = ³√7 × 7 × 7 = 7
Fourth Root of 2401 = ⁴√2401 = ⁴√7⁴ = ⁴√7 × 7 × 7 × 7 = 7
Fifth Root of 16807 = ⁵√16807 = ⁵√7⁵ = ⁵√7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 = 7

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

3 343	³√343	Third Root of 343

	7	Answer

		Root

Scientific Notation

Scientific notation is used to represent large or small numbers as a power of ten.

1 × 10⁶ = 1000000
7 × 10⁶ = 7000000

1 × 10^-6 = 0.000001
7 × 10^-6 = 0.000007

In order to get the correct answer with division involving scientific notation, parentheses are needed to protect the order of operations.
Right: (7 × 10⁶) ÷ (2 × 10⁶) = 3.5
Wrong: 7 × 10⁶ ÷ 2 × 10⁶ = 3.5 × 10¹²

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

7 6	7*10⁶	Scientific Notation

	blinker	clears screen

7 6 + 2 6	710⁶+ 210⁶	Addition

	9000000	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

7 6 – 2 6	710⁶– 210⁶	Subtraction

	5000000	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

7 6 × 2 6	710⁶ 2*10⁶	Multiplication

	1.4*10¹³	Answer

	blinker	clears screen

7 6 ÷ 2 6	(710⁶) ÷ (210⁶)	Division Parentheses protect order of operations.

	3.5	Answer

		Scientific Notation

π

π represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter (approximately 3.14).
π is also known as pi.
π is primarily a multiplier.

When an answer shows π immediately adjacent to a number, an invisible multiplication sign is in force:
5 × π = 5π

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

5 ×	5*π

	5π	Answer

		π

Toggle
toggle
The toggle button enables switching between results:
fraction ⇔ decimal
square root ⇔ decimal
π ⇔ decimal

Input	Display	Comment
	blinker	clears screen

$fraction$ 1 4	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{4}$

	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{4}$

	0.25	Toggle

	$\bf\displaystyle\frac{1}{4}$	Toggle

	blinker	clears screen

48	√48

	4√3

	6.928203230276	Toggle

	4√3	Toggle

	blinker	clears screen

	π

	π

	3.1415922654	Toggle

	π	Toggle

		Toggle

3 thoughts on “Calculator”

Peg Harvey says:

at

I am trying to start a GED prep class and appreciate your resources.

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Scott Solomon says:

at

Hi, Peg

Good luck with your class. Let me know if there’s anything more I can do to help.

Scott

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! says:

at

thankyou for the breakdown on the calculator! i have been struggling on learning how to navigate it! thankyou!

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Calculator

Clearing

Number Sense

Negatives

Decimals

Percent

Fractions

Mixed Fractions

Parentheses protect order of operations.

Number²

Square Root

Parentheses protect order of operations.

Power

Root

Parentheses protect order of operations.

Scientific Notation

π

Toggle

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3 thoughts on “Calculator”

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Clearing

Number Sense

Negatives

Decimals

Percent

Fractions

Mixed Fractions

Parentheses protect order of operations.

Number²

Square Root

Parentheses protect order of operations.

Power

Root

Parentheses protect order of operations.

Scientific Notation

π

Toggle

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3 thoughts on “Calculator”

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