Casio fx-CG50 User manual

The basics of the fx-CG50
Learning objectives
How to reset the calculator.
How to navigate modes to find all of the functions.
How to use the submenus in Option.
Use F1-F6 to select on-screen
options that appear above the
keys.
Use MENU to see the main
menu screen.
Also use for SET UP
Use the cursor to scroll
up/down/left/right
Use AC/ON to turn ON.
Also use for OFF
Press SHIFT to activate the
yellow labels for the other
keys
Use EXE to complete an
action. Also use it for =
Use X,Θ,T for entering a
variable (usually the variable
x in an equation or function)
Press ALPHA to activate the
red labels
Use EXIT to go back through
the menus
Use DEL as a backspace key
Use ^ for indices (powers)
Use (-) for negative numbers
(don’t use the subtract – key)
Use OPTN for additional
functions not on the
keyboard or screen

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This worksheet accompanies the video Calculation and Reset - Getting Started.
We suggest you watch it first.
How to reset the calculator
Press pto go the main menu screen and choose System by pressing ;or by navigating to the System
icon and pressing l. From here, you can restore all the settings to their default values and clear any
functions or lists that might be stored.
Each time you go to a menu, it returns to where it was when you left it. So, if your screen doesn’t look like
this, press duntil it does.
Notice that the onscreen menu for Reset is ‘F5’ – so press yand the labels for F1 to F6 then change.
Choose MAIN (w) here and you will be asked to confirm your choice. Choose Yes (q) to confirm and
you will be asked to press d.
Exploring Run-Matrix mode
Press pand choose Run-Matrix.
This works like a scientific calculator.
y
Notice that the display across the top
shows the default settings. If they are not
what you want, you can use SET UP to
change them –remember to press the
SHIFT key before the MENU key as it is
written in yellow.

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Using powers, squares and square roots
To calculate
25
5 2 25++
just type exactly what you see, pressing the sfor ‘squared’ and the ^key
to input the power 5. Then use the cursor to move right before inputting a +by pressing the +key. Use
S(L-s) to activate square root and press lfor ‘equals’.
There is no need to delete this to input the next calculation –just type it underneath.
You can return to a previous calculation by scrolling upwards.
Using fraction templates
Use the fraction template (press ;), type the numerator and scroll to type the denominator.
Scroll to the right before pressing +, or else it will go into the denominator of the fraction. Use the mixed
number template (L-;) for the one and a quarter –just putting 1 in front of a fraction will give 1
multiplied by the fraction, not a mixed number. Press land the answer is displayed as a fraction.
If you would rather have the answer as a decimal, press the vkey to see the answer as a decimal, correct
to 10 significant figures where necessary. Press vagain to return to the fraction.
Working with surds
Expressions involving surds such as
48
can be simplified by just typing them into the calculator.

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To simplify
23
31
−
+
use the fraction key and type the numerator. Use the cursor key to scroll down to type
the denominator. After typing root 3, scroll to the right to avoid typing the square root of
31+
. Press
lto see the simplified form.
Using menus for modulus
You may notice that there a fewer buttons on the fx-CG50 than the scientific calculator. All the ‘missing’
functions (and many more) are inside one of the menus. Take some time to explore these –you can always
find your way back out by pressing das many times as it takes!
You need to use the MATH menu to find the modulus function. Press dif necessary and choose MATH
(r).
Choose Abs (e) for absolute value and the common notation appears as a template.
Input the values you need inside the box.

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Using logarithms
There are buttons on the calculator for g(base 10) and natural log Gin the row directly underneath
the cursor. The log to another base function is to be found in the MATH menu which is currently open.
To find
2
log 8
choose logab (w) for the template, and input 2into the box.
Use the scroll pad to scroll across to the other box where you should input the number 8.
Finding factorials
There are several layers of menus to navigate to find the factorial key. It can be found in a probability menu
accessed by pressing ifor the Option menu.
To evaluate
5!
press i. This changes all the on-screen menus for F1 to F6. You will need the second
page of options, so press uto select the further menu. From this list, choose PROB (e).
The syntax for this function is that the value must be put in first, so if you choose x! (q), the calculator
uses the previous answer (Ans).
Scroll to the left so that the cursor is immediately after the incorrect value and press P.

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Input the value 5and press the lkey to execute.
Taking it further –checking your algebra with True/False
You can check work by testing True/False for two expressions you hope are equivalent.
Check work on algebraic fractions (simplifying, adding, writing as partial fractions, changing improper to
mixed). For example, to check whether
2
2
1
43
x
xx
−
++
simplifies to
1
3
x
x
−
+
, input
2
2
11
4 3 3
xx
x x x
−−
=
+ + +
using the fkey for xand L-.for the equals sign.
Press land the calculator will give 0 if false and 1 for true for the current value of x.
Hint: BEFORE USING THIS, make sure that you define xas an appropriate value. For example, if xis set to
equal 0, it will tell you that
23xx=
is TRUE (clearly not true for all real values of x)!
To set the value for xthat is useful for the identity or equation that you are checking, type the value you
want to use for x, then press b, f, l. This will assign that value to x.
Taking it further –explore the other menus in OPTN
Press dto go back through the menus to the top or to make other choices on menus that you have
already seen. It’s worth taking some time to familiarise yourself with them so that you are not searching
when using the calculator in earnest!

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Taking it further –the other modes
There are many modes to explore and you may find some more useful than others. They cover everything
you will need for A level Maths and Further Maths and much beyond that as well.
You may find these among the most useful –there’s plenty of help on these in the other tutorials.
The most useful menus to start learning the calculator for A level Maths and Further Maths are:
Use this mode for arithmetic calculations, function calculations, binary, octal,
decimal, and hexadecimal calculations, matrix and vector calculations.
Use this mode to perform single-variable and paired-variable statistical
calculations, to perform tests, to analyse data and to draw statistical graphs.
Use this mode to store graph functions, plot and analyse the functions.
Use this mode to solve linear equations with two to six unknowns, and
polynomials from 2nd to 6th degree.
Use this mode to store functions, to generate a table of values, and to draw
graphs.
Use this mode to store recursion formulas, to generate a table of values, and to
draw graphs.
Use this mode to draw graphs of conic sections.
For Further Maths you might want to look in more detail about Complex numbers in both Run-Matrix and
Equation modes. There are many useful functions for Matrices and vectors in Run-Matrix mode.
You can learn about these things in the set of video tutorials and the handouts that accompany them. All
the detail you need to explore much more sophisticated maths and ways of using the calculator can be
found in the manual.
Casio have many videos, lesson resources and skills sheets. Take a look at our dedicated education website
https://education.casio.co.uk/
Casio gratefully thanks Rose Jewell for substantial contributions to this tutorial. We hope that you enjoy
using the calculator.