FSCalc

Contents of This Page

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1. Entering Equations and Expressions
2. Reviewing the History
3. Saving the Calculation
4. Clearing the Calculator
5. Arithmetic Examples
6. Conversion Example
7. Statistical Example
8. Financial Examples

FSCalc is a scientific, engineering, and financial calculator. The calculator includes functions for statistics, metric conversions and physical properties and constants.

Entering Equations and Expressions

You can choose to enter an equation or expression using the menu (ALT) or by typing it with the keyboard. Anytime you solve an equation or expression, you must follow conventional math rules such as the order of operations.

• Parenthesis and Brackets - Simplify the inside of parenthesis and brackets before you deal with the exponent (if any) of the parenthesis or remove the parenthesis.
• Exponents - Simplify the exponent of a number or of a parenthesis before you multiply, divide, add, or subtract it.
• Multiplication and Division - Simplify multiplication and division in the order they appear from left to right.
• Addition and Subtraction - Simplify addition and subtraction in the order they appear from left to right.

Variables can be any combination of letters (a-z) and digits (0-9). Standard operations are entered in the form a+b, with no spaces. For example, x=7, y=9, x+y, f+10.

Operators modify the value stored in a variable.

Expressions are any combinations of numbers, variables, operators and functions.

Functions consist of a name followed by a comma-separated list of arguments enclosed in parentheses. If you choose to type the function instead of selecting it from the menus, be sure that you type it without spaces.

Once you have entered the equation or expression, press ENTER for the result.

If you select a function from the Functions Menu, anything selected on the current line is treated as an argument, i.e., placed in parentheses.

When you press ENTER to calculate an operation, PAC Mate speaks and selects the result. If you type a new number or entry, it replaces the result with the new entry. If you type an operator, the result become part of the new operation and the insertion point is placed at the end of the operation, ready for you to finish your calculation.

Reviewing the History

Once you have entered a calculation(s) you can sequentially review the steps taken or the equations entered by pressing the UP ARROW to move backward or DOWN ARROW to move forward.

Saving the Calculation

At anytime, while working through a calculation, you can save your work as a .txt file. Press CTRL+S to save the file in the current folder with the current name in the current location or open the File Menu and select Save As. Type a new file name, use the TAB command to move to the Folder combo box, and press the down arrow to select a folder. Press TAB again to move to the Location combo box and press the down arrow to select a location.

Clearing the Calculator

With FSCalc you can clear three items in the calculator: clear current line (ALT+S, C), clear the history (ALt+S, H), or clear the variables (ALT+S, V). You can find these three items in the Edit Menu as well.

Arithmetic Examples

Algebra Question: Simplify the following expression 2+(3-1)*3^2.

1. Following the order of operations, simplify the term inside the parenthesis first. In the edit window of FSCalc, type 3-1, then press ENTER.
2. Next, type p w r ( 3,2 ) or press ALT, F, ENTER to open the Functions Menu, then press ENTER on the Trig submenu and select Pwr. Pwr(2) will show automatically in the edit window so all you need to do is press the LEFT ARROW twice and type 3,. When you are done, press ENTER.
3. The next order of operations to solve for is the answer from step 2 multiplied by the answer from step 1, which is (2)*9. To do this, press * and type the answer "2." (If you cannot remember the answer from step 1, you can use UP ARROW to review each step taken in this expression. Use the DOWN ARROW to move to the last answer, which was 9.) When you are done, press ENTER.
4. The last step to simplifying this expression is to add 2 to18. Press + so expression now becomes 18+ and type 2, ENTER. (Answer = 20)
5. Review the calculations for any errors by pressing the UP ARROW.
6. Press ALT, F, ENTER and choose Save As to name and save this calculation as a .txt file.
7. Press ALT+S, H to clear the history.

Arithmetic Question: You are shopping for a new desktop computer and have found one for $875.00. The computer store salesman tells you that the special going on is 35% off all computers storewide. How much is the computer you picked out?

1. In the edit window type 875*35%.
2. When you are done press ENTER.
3. Now, subtract $306.25 from $875.00 (Answer = $568.75)

Conversion Example

Conversion Question: The winter of 2002-2003 is reputed to be one of the coldest winters on record. To substantiate this your friends from Syracuse, New York call to tell you that the temperature outside is -25 degrees Celsius and the wind is blowing at 10 miles per hour. What is the temperature in Fahrenheit and the wind chill factor?

1. Press ALT, F, ENTER. From the Functions Menu select and press ENTER on Conversions. In the submenu select and press ENTER on Celsius to Fahrenheit.
2. Type -25 and ENTER. (Answer = -13 degrees Fahrenheit)
3. Next, go back into the Conversions submenu and press ENTER on Wind Chill. The edit window now has wc(-13).
4. Press RIGHT ARROW once to move inside the parentheses and type ,10 and press ENTER. (Wind Chill = -37.2555 degrees Fahrenheit)

Statistical Example

Statistical Question: Find the average, standard deviation and sum from the following data. Data Set (6,8,9,10,2)

1. Type a v g ( 6,8,9,10,2 ) and press ENTER. Or press ALT, F, ENTER. With the Functions Menu opened move to the Stat submenu and press ENTER. Press ENTER again on Avg. Now type 6,8,9,10,2 and press ENTER. (Answer = 7)
2. Use the UP ARROW and SHIFT+HOME, CTRL+C to move, select and copy (6,8,9,10,2). Press the DOWN ARROW once and BACKSPACE over the 7, then paste the selected text. Move to the beginning of the line with the HOME Key and type s t d d e v. When you are done press ENTER. (Answer = 2.82843)
3. Clear the current line, 2.82843, with ALT+S, C. Press CTRL+V and HOME to paste the selected text that is still on the clipboard and move to the beginning of the line. Type s u m and press ENTER. (Answer = 35)

Financial Examples

Financial Question: Your financial advisor is recommending that you invest $5000.00 in a particular fund for 10 years. He says that the annual rate of return is 7.18%. In order to make an informed decision, you need to find out how much your money would be worth in 10 years.

To solve this problem you need to have some knowledge of the relationship between the rate of interest (r), time (t), the present value (pv) and the future value (fv) of the dollar. The relationship is as follows:

fv=pv*(1+r/n)^nt

pv = 5000 r = 0.0718 n = 1 t = 10 years fv = ?

To help with the concept, open Notes and take the variables above and plug them into the formula: fv = 5000*(1+.0718/1)^(1)(10). You can solve this problem using the order of operations or you can use the financial functions in FSCalc.

Using the order of operations:

1. Solve 1+.0718 first.
2. Press ALT, F, ENTER to open the Functions Menu. From the Trig Menu select and press ENTER on Pwr.
3. The edit window now reflects the following: pwr(1.0718). Because the cursor is outside the parentheses, you need to press the RIGHT ARROW once and finish the function by pressing ,10 and ENTER. (Answer = 2.0005)
4. Last, solve for fv by multiplying the future value factor, (1+r/n)^nt = 2.0005, and the present value = $5000.00. (Answer = $10,000)

Using FSCalc:

Note: When using the financial functions of FSCalc, you must list your known variables in the following order: fv(r,n,t,pv), pv(r,n,t,fv), pmt(r,n,t,pv), loan(r,n,t,pmt), install(r,n,t,pv)and rate(n,pv,fv).
Where:
pv = the present value or initial value
fv = the future value
r = the annual interest rate
t = time
n = number of compound periods in a year

1. First clear the history with ALT+S, H.
2. Press ALT, F, ENTER. From the Functions Menu, open the financial submenu and press ENTER on fv.
3. The edit window now has fv(). Inside the parentheses, type .0718,1,10,5000. When you are done press ENTER. (Answer = $10,0002.5)

Financial Question: You are interested in buying a home. You want to know what your monthly payment will be if you take a 15 year bank note for $120,000 at rate of 4.75% compounded monthly.

Using Notes, list out your known variables.

pmt = ? r = .0475 n = 12 t = 15 pv = 120,000

1. Press ALT, F, ENTER. From the Functions Menu, open the financial submenu and press ENTER on payment.
2. The edit window now has pmt(). Inside the parentheses, type .0475,12,15,120000. When you are done press ENTER. (Answer = $933.52)

Financial Question: You are concerned about your retirement. You want to know how much you have to invest today in order to accumulate $1 million dollars by time you are ready to retire. You have found an annuity that that is paying 10% return compounded monthly. You figure that you will retire in about 35 years.

Using Notes, list out your known variables.

fv = $1 million r = 0.10 n = 12 t = 35 years pv = ?

1. Press ALT, F, ENTER. From the Functions Menu, open the financial submenu and press ENTER on pv.
2. The edit window now has pv(). Inside the parentheses, type .10,12,35,1000000. When you are done press ENTER. (Answer = $30,637.25)

In the above question, how much money do you have to deposit each month if the annuity is compounded bi monthly?

In Notes reevaluate your variables. The rate is reconfigured because it is compounded bimonthly. If the rate is compounded quarterly you would use 4.

fv = $1 million pv = $30,637.25 r = .10 n = 24 t = 35

1. Press ALT+S, C to clear the line and then press ALT, F, ENTER. From the Functions Menu, open the financial submenu and press ENTER on installment.
2. The edit window now has install(). Inside the parentheses, type .10,24,35,1000000. When you are done press ENTER. (Answer = $130.72)

Financial Question: You need to take out a 5 year loan for some small home improvements. According to your budget you can afford to spend $50.00 monthly to pay back the loan. Bank rates on a 5 year loan are 6% compounded monthly. Given these parameters how much money can you borrow?

Using Notes, list out your known variables.

loan = ? r = .06 n = 12 t = 5 pmt = 50

1. Press ALT, F, ENTER. From the Functions Menu, open the financial submenu and press ENTER on loan.
2. The edit window now has loan(). Inside the parentheses, type .06,12,5,50. When you are done press ENTER. (Answer = $2586.28)

Financial Question: You receive quarterly statements from your mutual fund company on your IRA. As you watch your fund's performance you wonder what the rate of return is on your IRA. Your initial investment two years ago was $2000.00 and your most recent statement shows a balance of $3829.52. The IRA is compounded daily.

Using Notes, list out your known variables.

rate = ? pv = $2000.00 fv = $3829.52 n = 365

1. Press ALT, F, ENTER. From the Functions Menu, open the financial submenu and press ENTER on rate.
2. The edit window now has rate(). Inside the parentheses, type 365,2000,3829.52. When you are done press ENTER. (Answer = .00178 x 100 = .178%)

Operators

Arithmetic Functions

Statistical Functions

Trigonometric Functions

Conversion Functions

Financial Functions