HP 15c Manual

 Contents 11 
 
Appendix F: Batteries   .............................................  259 
Low-Power Indication  .......................................................  259 
Installing New Batteries  ................................................  259 
Verifying Proper Operation (Self-Tests)  ...............................  261 
Function Summary and Index  .....................................  262 
Complex Functions  ..........................................................  262 
Conversions...

 
12 
The HP-15C: 
A Problem Solver 
The  HP-15C  Advanced  Programmable  Scientific  Calculator  is  a  powerful 
problem  solver,  convenient  to  carry  and  easy to  hold.  Its  continuous 
memory retains data  and program instructions indefinitely  until  you choose 
to  reset  it.  Though  sophisticated,  it  requires  no  prior  programming 
experience or knowledge of programming languages to use it. 
The  new HP-15C is a  modern re-release  of the  original  HP-15C introduced 
in  1982.  While...

 The HP-15C: A Problem Solver 13 
 
The  display  format  used  in  this  handbook  is • 4  (the  decimal  point  is 
―fixed‖  to  show  four  decimal  places)  unless  otherwise  mentioned.  If  your 
calculator  does  not  show  four  decimal  places,  you  may  want  to  press 
´• 4 to match the displays in the examples. 
Manual Solutions 
Run through  the  following  two-number  calculations.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
clear the calculator between problems. If you enter a digit incorrectly, press...

14 The HP-15C: A Problem Solver 
 
The time an object takes to fall to the ground (ignoring air friction) is given 
by the formula 
, 
where  t = time in seconds, 
h = height in meters, 
g = the acceleration due to gravity, 
9.8 m/s2. 
Example: Compute  the  time  taken  by a 
stone  falling  from  the  top  of  the  Eiffel 
Tower (300.51 meters high) to the earth. 
Keystrokes Display  
300.51 v 300.5100 Enter h. 
2 * 601.0200 Calculates 2h. 
9.8 ÷ 61.3286 (2h) /g. 
¤ 7.8313 Falling time, seconds....

 The HP-15C: A Problem Solver 15 
 
 
Keystrokes Display 
|¥ 000- Sets HP-15C to Program 
mode. (PRGM 
annunciator on.) 
´ CLEAR M 000- Clears program memory. 
(This step is optional 
here.) 
´bA 001-42,21,11 Label A defines the 
beginning of the 
program. 
2 002-       2  
* 003-      20  
9 004-       9  
  The same keys you 
  pressed to solve the  
. 005-      48 problem manually. 
8 006-       8  
÷ 007-      10  
¤ 008-      11  
|n 009-   43 32 ―Return‖ defines the end=
of the programK=
|¥ 7.8313...

16 The HP-15C: A Problem Solver 
 
With this  program  loaded,  you  can  quickly  calculate  the  time  of  descent  of 
an  object  from  different  heights.  Simply  key  in  the  height  and  press 
´A. Find  the  time  of  descent  for  objects  released  from  heights  of    
100 m, 2 m, 275 m, and 2,000 m. 
The answers are: 4.5175 s; 0.6389 s; 7.4915 s; and 20.2031 s. 
That  program was  relatively  easy.  You  will  see  many  more  aspects  and 
details of programming in part II. For now, turn...

 
 
 
 
 
Part l 
HP-15C 
Fundamentals  

 
18 
Section 1 
Getting Started 
Power On and Off 
The = key  turns  the  HP-15C  on  and  off.* To  conserve  power,  the 
calculator automatically turns itself off after a few minutes of inactivity. 
Keyboard Operation 
Primary and Alternate Functions 
Most  keys  on  your  HP-15C  perform  one  primary  and  two  alternate,  shifted 
functions.  The  primary  function  of  any  key  is  indicated  by  the  character(s) 
on  the  face  of  the  key.  The  alternate  functions  are  indicated  by  the...

 Section 1: Getting Started 19 
 
Notice  that  when  you  press  the ´ or | 
prefix  key,  an f or g annunciator  appears 
and  remains  in  the  display  until  a  function 
key is pressed to complete the sequence. 
Prefix Keys 
A  prefix  key is any  key  which  must  precede  another  key  to  complete  the 
key  sequence  for  a  function.  Certain  functions  require  two  parts:  a  prefix 
key and a digit or other key. For your reference, the prefix keys are: 
 ^ • G f > i O 
m ´ | P I l F T 
s ?...

20 Section 1: Getting Started 
 
 
Keystrokes Display  
6.6262 6.6262  
‛ 6.6262    00 The 00 prompts you to 
key in the exponent. 
3 6.6262    03 (6.6262×103). 
4 6.6262    34 (6.6262×1034). 
“ 6.6262   -34 (6.6262×10-34). 
v 6.6262   -34 Enters number. 
50 * 3.3131   -32 Joule-seconds. 
Note: Decimal digits from the mantissa that spill into the exponent 
field  will disappear from the  display  when  you press ―, but  will be 
retained internally. 
To  prevent  a  misleading  display  pattern, ‛ will...