Section 1: Getting Started28
To Solve Keystrokes   Display  
(5 + 11) ÷ 8 5 ENTER 
11  + 
8  ÷ 
   5.0000
 16.0000
 2.0000
 
(23 × 6) ÷ 12 23 ENTER 
6  × 
12  ÷ 
   32.0000
 138.0000
 11.5000
 
(9 + 17 – 4 + 23) ÷ 4 9 ENTER 
17  + 
4  – 
23  + 
4  ÷ 
   9.0000
 26.0000
 22.0000
 45.0000
 11.2500
 
Problems that are even more complicated can be solved in the same simple manner, using the automatic storage of intermediate results. For example, to solve (6 + 5) × (9 – 3) with pencil and paper, you would:
(6 + 5) × (9 – 3)
   
   
First solve for    
the contents of    
these parentheses...    
 
     
     
 
    ...and then for these parentheses...
   
    ...and then you would multiply the
two intermediate answers together.
You work through the problem the same way with your HP-41C. First solve for the intermediate result (6 + 5):
Keystrokes Display    
6 ENTER   6.0000    
5  +   11.0000   Intermediate result.
Now perform (9 – 3): (Since you must key in another pair of numbers before you can perform a function, you use the ENTER  key again to separate the first number of the pair from the second.)
Keystrokes Display    
9 ENTER   9.0000    
3  –   6.0000   Intermediate result.