Casio fx-115MS Scientific Calculator
Featuring 279 Built-In Functions, 2-Line Big Display and Solar Plus, the FX-115MSPlus is permitted on College Entrance Examination Boards like the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT.
The 279 built-in function include fractions, statistics, complex number calculations, base arithmetic, linear regression, stand deviation, computer science (bin/oct/dec/hex), polar-rectangular conversions, Boolean logic, and engineering calculations.
S-V.P.A.M. stands for "Super Visually Perfect Algebraic Method." With this method, you get the same V.P.A.M. ability to input mathematical expressions as they are written, along with the ability to view expressions and results at the same time. The display of S-V.P.A.M. shows two lines at a time. You can recall an expression with the Replay feature, make any changes that you want, and then recalculate.
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Table of Contents
- The Casio fx-115MS calculator
- About this guide
- Notation used
- Calculator states
- Self test for checking screen pixels
- What the fx-115MS can do - Switching MODES
- Computation
- Evaluate expressions
- Solve Equations
- Differentiation
- Integration
- Imaginary and Complex Numbers
- Standard Deviation and other single-variable statistical calculations
- Regression (paired-variable statistical calculations)
- Binary, Octal, Decimal, and Hexadecimal (calculations in other number systems)
- Simultaneous Linear Equations (finding common solutions)
- Polynomial Equations (solving and factoring)
- Computation
- How it displays information
- angles --- Degrees, Radians, Gradians
- numbers --- Fixed, Scientific, or Normal
- engineering units --- Femto, Pico, Nano, Micro, Milli, Kilo, Mega, Giga, or Tera
- complex number --- Rectangular (a + bi) or Polar (r ∠ θ) coordinate system
- fractions --- Proper (Numerator < Denominator) or Improper (or vulgar)
- decimal separator symbol --- Comma or Period
About this guide
This guide has been plagiarized from a guide written by Julius Nadas, a CIS/Math professor at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, IL. That guide freely plagiarized from the fx-115MS User’s Guide; however, Nadas’ guide provided additional information and enabled accessing the information by calculator key (which I found invaluable).
I created my own version of Nadas’ guide for two reasons: 1) to preserve the information in case Nadas removes his guide from the web, and 2) because I didn’t care for his color scheme. I have corrected the few typos I noticed, occasionally reworded things to make them clearer (at least to me), and added a smattering of content.
Notation used
This guide provides a visual clue to the physical keys and buttons that you press on the fx-115MS. This section demonstrates how each one will appear in the remainder of this guide.
Top Section
Just below the display are five dark grey buttons, two slanted oval buttons on either side of a big ovoid button. The big ovoid button can be pressed in the center (COPY/REPLAY) and along the edge of the button at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. Here is how we will indicate those buttons in this guide:
| ⇑ | ||||
| SHIFT | ALPHA | ⇐ REPLAY ⇒ | MODE | ON |
| ⇓ |
Middle Section
Below those five buttons are four rows of light grey function keys. There are twenty-two of these keys. Here is how we will indicate each of those keys in this guide:
| CALC | ∫dx | x-1 | x3 | ||
| ab/c | √ | x2 | ^ | log | ln |
| (-) | ° ’ ” | hyp | sin | cos | tan |
| RCL | ENG | ( | ) | ’ | M+ |
Bottom Section
The bottom four rows of keys are black, except for the right two in the top row of that section which are a dull pink. There are twenty keys in this section of the fx-115MS. Here is how we will indicate each of those keys in this guide:
| 7 | 8 | 9 | DEL | AC |
| 4 | 5 | 6 | × | ÷ |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | + | -- |
| 0 | · | EXP | Ans | = |
Examples
In order to indicate the procedure for adding 2 and 3, we would say:
When a button combination is used which is annotated on the fx-115MS (i.e. text or symbols above or below the second key involved in the combo indicating an alternate function for that key), we will indicate that in this guide by the syntax “{button combo}(annotation)”. Within the curly braces are shown the two buttons involved in the combo, which are to be pressed sequentially, not at the same time. Within the parentheses is shown the annotation on the fx-115MS above or below the second key which is relevant to the operation being shown. For example, to indicate the procedure for "mode initialization", we would say:
Finally, if one has to be in a particular mode for the key indicated to have the annotated meaning, that will be indicated by the syntax “[mode buttonn key](MODE)”, where n is the number of times the MODE button should be pressed, key is the mode selector, and MODE is the name of the mode (as shown on the fx-115MS). For example, to switch between decimal and hexadecimal notation, one must be in the BASE mode:
In this guide, something shown in the display will be indicated like this (here, the display is showing 1.42356 x 1011):
Calculator states
State indicators are little tiny indicators along the top line of the fx-115MS display that people my age can barely see. Some states change what will happen when you press a key, other states tell you about how results will be displayed. Multiple states and display modes may be active at once.
| SHIFT | S | execute BROWN functions |
| ALPHA | A | execute RED functions |
| Hyperbolic | hyp | execute hyperbolic functions |
| Memory | M | indicates a non-zero value in memory location M |
| Store | STO | store the current Ans in a memory location |
| Recall | RCL | recall from a memory location |
| Standard Deviation | SD | standard deviation and other single-variable statistical functions execute BLUE functions |
| Regression | REG | regression and other paired-variable statistical functions execute BLUE functions |
| Complex numbers | CMPLX | complex number mode |
| Equation | EQN | solutions of simultaneous linear equations or polynomial equations |
| Degree | D | angles are expressed in degrees |
| Radian | R | angles are expressed in radians |
| Grad | G | angles are expressed in grads |
| Fixed | FIX | numbers are expressed in fixed notation |
| Scientific | SCI | numbers are expressed in scientific notation |
| Engineering | ENG | numbers are expressed in engineering units notation |
| Complex Polar | r∠θ | complex numbers are expressed in polar coordinates |
| Complex Number | R⇔I | displaying a complex number, use Re⇔Im to display other part |
| Imaginary | i | displaying imaginary part of a complex number |
| Angle | ∠ | displaying angle component of a complex number in polar coordinates |
| Up Arrow | ↑ | there are prior screens in REPLAY memory |
| Down Arrow | ↓ | there are subsequent screens in REPLAY memory |
| Right Arrow | → | there are additional menu choices available by pressing ⇒ |
| Left Arrow | ← | there are additional menu choices available by pressing ⇐ |
| Base | d H b o | display is in d=Decimal, H=Hexadecimal, b=Binary, or o=Octal base execute GREEEN functions |
| Multistatement | Disp | executing a multi-statement command |
NOT FINISHED YET
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