hp calculators
HP 17bII+ Introduction and Basics
Shift Key
Power
Main Menu
Annunciators
Fixing the Decimal Point
Arithmetic Modes
The +/- Key
Scientific Format hp calculators
HP 17bII+ Introduction and Basics
Congratulations! You have selected a great financial calculator in the HP 17bll+. The compactness of the keyboard belies the
powerful computing instrument that you hold in your hand.
SHIFT KEY:
Part of this is due to the expansion of the keyboard with the use of the shift key in color (SK) that you see near the lower lefthand
corner of the keyboard. If you press this key prior to your hitting any other key on the keyboard that has a function in color at the
base of it, you will activate that function. If you press a key without first hitting the shift key, you activate the function shown in white
on the face of the key or, for two keys, below the key. So, one key can actually activate two or three different functions.
POWER:
Turn your calculator on by pressing ‘ON' at the lower lefthand corner of the keyboard. Once the power is on, hitting that key again
will clear your calculator (see the section on clearing functions for more). Turn off the calculator by pressing ‘SK’ and then the lower
lefthand key with ‘OFF’ in color at the base of it.
MAIN MENU:
Turn your calculator back on, however, and look at another reason for the compactness of the keyboard. Your calculator uses
menus that will lead you in to successive calculating options. The main menu shows the following:
- The “FIN” (“financial”) menu you see at the far left of the display allows
you access to the financial functions of the calculator.
- The “BUS” (“business”) menu to the right of “FIN” is for calculation of
percentages.
- The “SUM” menu allows you to tabulate lists of numbers and statistics.
- The “TIME” menu you can check out for time, date, and dabbling in date
arithmetic.
- The “SOLVE” menu you will use to create and solve equations.
- The "CURRX" menu converts from one currency to another.
Access to any of these menus is granted by just pressing the key below the chosen menu label. To get out of a menu, hit “EXIT” and
you will reverse the direction of the steps you have taken into a particular menu. If you want to jump back to the main menu in one
operation, press ‘SK’ (shift key) and “MAIN.” Actually, you are pressing ‘EXIT’ too but activate 'MAIN,' in color at the base of the key,
as you may remember from our discussion above, because you first hit the shift key.
ANNUNCIATORS:
Your display will also make announcements, with something called an “annunciator.” Every time you hit the shift key, it announces
this by displaying a small horizontal arrow that curves up at its right end. Another example is when your battery is low, a small
battery symbol will appear to tip you off.
FIXING THE DECIMAL POINT:
But you are here to calculate, aren’t you! So, let’s talk about the numbers that you can put into your display. You have a choice of
how many places you want to show to the right of the decimal point. In the second row of your calculator you see the display button,
the one with “DSP” in white on the face of the key. You know, of course, that means you don’t need the shift key to use this function.
Press it and you’ll see your options of “FIX” and “ALL.” The latter means you want to show all 11 places to the right of the decimal.
You can show a maximum of 12 digits in the display including the whole number to the decimal point’s left. Select a lesser number
hp calculators - 2 - HP 17bII+ Introduction and Basics hp calculators
HP 17bII+ Introduction and Basics
down to and including zero by pressing “FIX,” the number of places you want, and then hitting ‘INPUT.’ Whatever you show in your
display, however, the calculator will carry 12 places internally.
By the way, aren’t those instructions helpful that appeared in the display as you set your decimal point? It is a recurring feature of
the HP 17bll+ that is intended to make its use as uncomplicated as possible.
If you are curious about that period and comma that appeared alongside the ‘FIX’ and ‘ALL’ options, these are the two options you
have for setting a decimal point. In the U.S., a period is used for the decimal point and a comma for separating digits of whole
numbers. In some other countries the two are switched and the comma becomes the decimal point and the period the digit
separator.
ARITHMETIC MODES:
Algebraic:
Speaking of numbers, let’s put some in your calculator and perform our arithmetic operations. You can use either of two modes to
do this. The traditional one is the Algebraic mode (ALG), where, for example, to add ‘5’ and ‘10’ you press ‘5,’ then the arithmetic
operator, ‘+,’ and then ‘10.’ To get the answer of ‘15,’ you then press
the equals sign, ‘=.’
Algebraic Keystrokes to Add '5' and '10'
5
+
10
= Answer: 15.00
Reverse Polish Notation:
An alternative method is the Reverse Polish Notation mode (RPN) that switches a mathematical system developed by a Polish
logician who placed the arithmetic operator before the numbers to one in which the operator follows the numbers. That’s where the
term, “Reverse Polish Notation,” comes from. So, our calculation of ‘15’ above uses the following keystrokes in the RPN mode: ‘5,’
‘ENTER,’ ‘10,’ and ‘+.’ For involved calculations this system can save keystrokes over the Algebraic one. To select the mode of
your choice, press ‘SK’ and ‘MODES.’
RPN Keystrokes to Add '5' and '10'
5
ENTER
10
+ Answer: 15.00
THE +/- KEY:
If you want to change the sign on that ‘15,’ hit ‘+/-.’ It should now show a negative sign. If you want to bring it back to a positive
number, press ‘+/-’ and the negative sign should disappear.
hp calculators - 3 - HP 17bII+ Introduction and Basics hp calculators
HP 17bII+ Introduction and Basics
SCIENTIFIC FORMAT:
Set your calculator to two places to the right of the decimal and try this calculation: multiply 40,000,000. by 20,000,000.
Algebraic Keystrokes
40000000
x
20000000
= Answer: 8.00E14
RPN Keystrokes
40000000
ENTER
20000000
x Answer: 8.00E14
In either case you wind up with “8.00E14.” There are too many places to fit into your display (remember a maximum of 12), so your
calculator automatically switched to what is known as the “scientific format.” The ‘E’ stands for exponent and the ‘14’ following
signifies that the answer is “8” times 10 to the 14th power, or “800,000,000,000,000.”
