Bredhurst Receiving and Transmitting Society

Advanced Radio Amateur Examination

Using the fx-83MS

Using the fx-83MS

The following presentation will familiarise you with the fx-83MS calculator, may be even before you have bought one! For some students these steps will be obvious but to others, who have never seen a scientific calculator before, it will be particularly useful.

Check that you understand what you are doing and what results you are expecting each step of the way. Learning parrot fashion, without understanding and you could could be doomed to disaster!

Switching the calculator on - seems basic but if it does not switch on the battery is probably flat !!

When you first press the button this is the display you should see.

Click here to see the switching on and off buttons

Then you must check that you are in the correct mode.

So press the button

Then press 1 - and the screen will look like this.

This is your starting point for all calculation.

Simple mathematical calculation

Enter 2  9 3 and press the result 6

You can see the problem shown on the top line as you enter it, with the result after the button is press on the bottom line.

This use of the two display lines is the same for all calculation.

The other simple mathematical functions of :-

are used in the same way.

To give the reciprocal of a number we used this key see below

This is the decimal point button

Press the  to CLEAR ALL and you are ready for the next calculation.

Enter 2 then press

then press the display is as shown

Now let's introduce the button

Let's say you want to express 270000 in terms of k

So turn on the calculator and enter 270000

Press

Press the answer is 270 x 103

103 = 1000 = k thus 270k
The use of the key press has made the calculator use its Exponential function and so long as you know which exponential you are seeking you can read off the answer directly.

EXAMPLE

Let's say you want to express 0.001A in terms of mA

So turn on the calculator and enter .001 Press the and you will see the display as at the left.

Press and the screen stays the same as it is already giving the answer in the correct exponential milli amps 10-3 that is 0.001 = 1mA or 1 x 10-3

Press again and the screen is then giving the answer not mA but in micro amps 10-6  1000 uA

Press again and the screen is then giving the answer not micro amps but in nano amps 10-9 1000000 nA

Press again and the screen is then giving the answer not nano amps but in pico amps 10-12   1000000000 pA
milli 10-3 micro 10-6 nano 10-9 pico 10-12

From this you have learned that each press of the button moves the decimal point 3 places

There are more functions to show you but it is hoped that you have taken all the above onboard and it is time to give yourself  a coffee / the break !!!

Next Power in DC circuits

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