Section 2: Display Control35
Keystrokes Display    
g ENG   ENG _   The display function and prompt.
2
 2.82 –15
  Engineering notation display. Number appears in the display rounded off to two significant digits after the omnipresent first one. Power of 10 is proper multiple of three.
g ENG 3
 2.818 –15
  Display is rounded off to third significant digit after the first one.
g ENG 0
 3. –15
  Display is rounded off to first significant digit.
Notice that rounding can occur to the left of the decimal point, as in the case of ENG 0 specified above.
When engineering notation has been selected, the decimal point shifts to maintain the exponent of 10 as multiple of three. For example, multiplying the number now in the calculator by 10 twice causes the decimal point to shift to the right twice without altering the exponent of 10.
Keystrokes Display    
g ENG 2
 2.82 –15
  The number.
10  × 
 28.2 –15
  The decimal point shifts.
10  × 
 282. –15
   
However, multiplying again by 10 causes the exponent to shift to another multiple of three. Since you specified ENG 2 earlier, the calculator maintains two significant digits after the first one when you multiply by 10 again.
Keystrokes Display    
10  × 
 2.82 –12
  The decimal point shifts. Power of 10 shifts to 10–12. Display maintains two significant digits after the first one.
g CLX 
 0.00  00
  Clears the display.
g FIX 4  0.0000   Set the calculator back to FIX 4.
Automatic Display Switching and Scrolling
The HP-41C automatically switches the display from fixed point notation to scientific notation whenever the number is too large or too small to be seen with a fixed decimal point. This keeps you from missing unexpectedly large or small answers.