You can define both the format and precision of final and intermediate results. For more information on the available formats and precision options, see the following paragraphs.
To define a non-default format of results, after the appropriate results symbol, type:
| Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| F | Fixed format |
| S | Scientific format |
| G | General format |
| E | Engineering format |
General and scientific formats are identical for numbers ≥107 and ≥10-7. Otherwise, the general format is similar to the fixed format, except that any trailing zeros after the decimal point are removed.
The engineering format gives a number between 1 and 999 × 10?, where ? is a multiple of 3 (3, 6, 9, -3 and so on).
See examples of the different format settings in the table below.
| Results | Decimal places or significant figures | Fixed format (decimal places) | Scientific format (decimal places) | General format (decimal places) | Engineering format (significant figures) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large numbers, for example: 1065.1 x 1016 |
-3 | 10651-----000 | 1.065 × 1019 | 1.065 × 1019 | 10.7 × 1018 |
| -2 | 10651------00 | 1.07 × 1019 | 1.07 × 1019 | 11 × 1018 | |
| -1 | 10651-------0 | 1.1 × 1019 | 1.1 × 1019 | 10 × 1018 | |
| 0 | 10651-------- | 1 × 1019 | 1 × 1019 | 10 × 1018 | |
| 1 | 10651--------.- | 1.1 × 1019 | 1.1 × 1019 | 10 × 1018 | |
| 2 | 10651--------.-- | 1.07 × 1019 | 1.07 × 1019 | 11 × 1018 | |
| 3 | 10651--------.--- | 1.065 × 1019 | 1.065 × 1019 | 10.7 × 1018 | |
| 4 | 10651--------.---- | 1.0651 × 1019 | 1.0651 × 1019 | 10.65 × 1018 | |
| Small numbers, for example: 7.883 x 10-20 |
-3 | 0 | 7.883 × 10-20 | 7.883 × 10-20 | 78.8 × 10-21 |
| -2 | 0 | 7.88 × 10-20 | 7.88 × 10-20 | 79 × 10-21 | |
| -1 | 0 | 7.9 × 10-20 | 7.9 × 10-20 | 80 × 10-21 | |
| 0 | 0 | 8 × 10-20 | 8 × 10-20 | 80 × 10-21 | |
| 1 | 0.0 | 7.9 × 10-20 | 7.9 × 10-20 | 80 × 10-21 | |
| 2 | 0.00 | 7.88 × 10-20 | 7.88 × 10-20 | 79 × 10-21 | |
| 3 | 0.000 | 7.883 × 10-20 | 7.883 × 10-20 | 78.8 × 10-21 | |
| 4 | 0.0000 | 7.8830 × 10-20 | 7.883 × 10-20 | 78.83 × 10-21 | |
| Normal numbers, for example: 0.8396 |
-3 | 0 | 8.396 × 10-1 | 0 | 840 × 10-3 |
| -2 | 0 | 8.40 × 10-1 | 0 | 840 × 10-3 | |
| -1 | 0 | 8.4 × 10-1 | 0 | 800 × 10-3 | |
| 0 | 1 | 8 × 10-1 | 1 | 800 × 10-3 | |
| 1 | 0.8 | 8.4 × 10-1 | 0.8 | 800 × 10-3 | |
| 2 | 0.84 | 8.40 × 10-1 | 0.84 | 840 × 10-3 | |
| 3 | 0.840 | 8.396 × 10-1 | 0.84 | 840 × 10-3 | |
| 4 | 0.8396 | 8.3960 × 10-1 | 0.8396 | 839.6 × 10-3 | |
| Normal numbers, for example: 8396 |
-3 | 8000 | 8.396 × 103 | 8000 | 8.40 × 103 |
| -2 | 8400 | 8.40 × 103 | 8400 | 8.4 × 103 | |
| -1 | 8400 | 8.4 × 103 | 8400 | 8 × 103 | |
| 0 | 8396 | 8 × 103 | 8396 | 8 × 103 | |
| 1 | 8396.0 | 8.4 × 103 | 8396 | 8 × 103 | |
| 2 | 8396.00 | 8.40 × 103 | 8396 | 8.4 × 103 | |
| 3 | 8396.000 | 8.396 × 103 | 8396 | 8.40 × 103 | |
| 4 | 8396.0000 | 8.3960 × 103 | 8396 | 8.396 × 103 |
