HP -25 Owner's Handbook Manual page 31

Controlling the Display 27
Scientific Notation Display
Sign of Exponent of 10
Y
S e
Eight-Digit Mantissa Exponentof 10
Scientific Notation Display
(This means —1.2345678 x 10723%)
In scientific notation each number is displayed with a single
digit to the left of the decimal point followed by a specified num-
ber of digits (up to seven) to the right of the decimal point and
multiplied by a powerof 10. It is particularly useful when work-
ing with very large or small numbers.
Scientific notation is selected by pressing | [5C/Jfollowed by a
number key to specify the number of decimal places to which
the numberis rounded. The display is left-justified and includes
trailing zeros within the selected setting. For example:
Press Display
123.4567 Normal FIX 2 display.
B2 Displays 1.23 x 102.
E(sc)4 Displays 1.2346 X 102
Ea[scn 7 1.2345670 02 Displays 1.2345670 x 10%
In scientific notation, although the calculator displays a maxi-
mum of seven digits after the decimal point, it always maintains
the full 10-digit number and the two-digit exponent of 10 inter-
nally. The portion of the numberthat is not displayed affects the
rounding ofthe displayed portion.
For example, if you key in 1.000000094 and specify full scien-
tific notation display ([/|[EC1]7), the calculator display rounds
off to the seventh digit after the decimal point:
1.000000994
Calculator rounds to this digit in SCI 7.