HP 50g Calculator - Calculator Display Questions

Overview

This document addresses possible calculator display questions for the HP 48gii and HP 50g calculators.

Getting the original soft menu of ‘EDIT’, ‘VIEW’, etc. at the bottom of the screen (HP 48gii or HP 50g)

To access or restore the 'TOOL' menu, press and release the button.

In Algebraic mode, the items and the functions of the 'Tool' menu include:

Edits the contents of a variable
Views the contents of a variable
Recalls the contents of a variable
Stores the contents of a variable
Purge a variable
Clears the display or stack
Launch a command from the CAS
Help

In RPN mode, the items and the functions of the 'Tool' menu include:

Edits the contents of a variable
Views the contents of a variable
Opens the RPN Stack menu
Recalls the contents of a variable
Purge a variable
Clears the display or stack
Launch a command from the CAS
Help
Items displayed along the bottom of the screen are referred to as a 'menu.' To access an item displayed in a menu, press the key associated with the item from the row of keys directly below the display screen (keys F1-F6). The calculator displays only six labels at a time; however, a menu can have more than six items. Each group of six entries is called a menu page. The 'TOOL' menu has eight items arranged on two pages. The next page, containing the next two items of the menu, are available by pressing the key. Press again to return to the first page of the menu.

Displaying the numbers as decimals instead of fractions and vice-versa (HP 48gii and HP 50g)

One way to convert between fractions and their decimal equivalents is to use the Equation Writer. Press to open the equation writer. Type fractions, or expressions with fractions, into the calculator. Once the fraction is entered into the Equation Writer, to convert the fraction, highlight it by placing the cursor on the fraction with the arrow keys. Once on the fraction, use the up arrow key to highlight the entire fraction. Press , followed by .

As an example, convert 3/17 into its decimal equivalent; then convert it back into a fraction.

NOTE: Number format is set at Std.
Press the key to enter the 'Calculator Modes' input page and verify the 'Number Format' as needed.
  1. Press .
  2. Press 3/17.

  3. Press the up cursor key two times to highlight the entire fraction.

  4. Press (the ENTER key). .176470588235 is displayed.
  5. Press (the HIST key) to toggle between the fraction and decimal equivalent.