HP 33s - Manual (Page 31)

Getting Started 1–15
Keying in Exponents of Ten
Use a (exponent) to key in numbers multiplied by powers of ten. For example,
take Planck's constant, 6.6261 × 10 –34
:
1. Key in the mantissa (the non–exponent part) of the number. If the mantissa is
negative, press ^ after keying in its digits.
Keys: Display:
6.6261 )  _
2. Press a . Notice that the cursor moves behind the :
a
)   
_
3. Key in the exponent. (The largest possible exponent is ±499.) If the exponent is
negative, press ^ after you key in the

or after you key in the value of the
exponent:
34 ^
)    ._
For a power of ten without a multiplier, such as 10 34 , just press a 34. The
calculator displays 
 .
Other Exponent Functions
To calculate an exponent of ten (the base 10 antilogarithm), use {  . To
calculate the result of any number raised to a power (exponentiation), use
(see chapter 4).
Understanding Digit Entry
As you key in a number, the cursor (_) appears in the display. The cursor shows
you where the next digit will go; it therefore indicates that the number is not
complete.