HP (Hewlett-Packard) HP 33s Calculator User Manual


 
Getting Started
1–19
File name 33s-English-Manual-040130-Publication(Edition 2).doc Page : 388
Printed Date : 2004/1/30 Size : 13.7 x 21.2 cm
Number of Decimal Places
All numbers are stored with 12–digit precision, but you can select the number of
decimal places to be displayed by pressing
Þ
(the display menu). During
some complicated internal calculations, the calculator uses 15–digit precision for
intermediate results. The displayed number is rounded according to the display
format. The DISPLAY menu gives you four options:




Fixed–Decimal Format ({

})
FIX format displays a number with up to 11 decimal places (11 digits to the right of
the "
" or "
" radix mark) if they fit. After the prompt

_, type in the number of
decimal places to be displayed. For 10 or 11 places, press
Ë
0 or
Ë
1.
For example, in the number

, the "7", "0", "8", and "9" are the
decimal digits you see when the calculator is set to FIX 4 display mode.
Any number that is too large or too small to display in the current decimal–place
setting will automatically be displayed in scientific format.
Scientific Format ({

})
SCI format displays a number in scientific notation (one digit before the "
" or "
"
radix mark) with up to 11 decimal places (if they fit) and up to three digits in the
exponent. After the prompt,

_, type in the number of decimal places to be
displayed. For 10 or 11 places, press
Ë
0 or
Ë
1. (The mantissa part of the
number will always be less than 10.)
For example, in the number

, the "2", "3", "4", and "6" are the
decimal digits you see when the calculator is set to SCI 4 display mode. The "5"
following the "E" is the exponent of 10: 1.2346
×
10
5
.