Chain Mode - HP 20b Business Consultant Quick Start Manual

Mathematical Calculations
To enter a number in the display, press the digits successively. A number can
have up to 12 digits.
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To change the sign of a number from positive to negative, press .
Use scientific notation to enter very large and very small numbers. For example,
to enter the number 12345.12 in scientific notation, first enter the mantissa,
123
:w
12345, then press
and enter the number representing the exponent,
123. The exponent must have a value between -499 and +499.

Chain Mode

By default, calculations are performed in Chain mode. To change the calculating
mode, refer to the section titled, The Mode Menu: Setting Preferences.
Calculations in Chain mode are interpreted in the order in which they are entered.
For example, enter the following numbers and operations as written from left to
1+2*3
right: . See Figure 2-1. Note how if you press an
+-*/ =
operator key, , after , the calculation is continued using
the currently displayed value.
Figure 2-1 Calculation in Chain Mode
In Chain mode, if you wish to override the left to right order of entry, use
()
parentheses to prioritize operations.
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