DisplayShows the numbers you enter and the result.
Number keysTen keys, 0 to 9, for entering a number digit by digit.
Operation keysDivide, multiply, subtract and add.
Equals keyFinishes the calculation and shows the result.
Decimal point keyPuts the decimal point into the number being entered.
The other keys and the power 7
On/clear key (ON/C)Turns the calculator on and clears the whole calculation.
Clear entry key (CE)Clears only the last number entered, not the whole calculation.
Memory keysAdd to, subtract from and recall one stored number.
Square root keyGives the square root of the number showing.
Percent keyWorks out percentages.
Change sign key (+/−)Switches the number showing between positive and negative.
Solar cellTurns light into the power that runs the calculator.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 in two independent places, an encyclopedia and makers’ own manuals. (1) Wikipedia, Calculator, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculator (a keypad with buttons for digits and arithmetical operations; the display panel; solar cells or batteries as the power source; the table of buttons and their meanings: MC, MR or MRC, M− and M+ for memory, C or AC for all clear, CE for clear last entry, ± for change sign, %, the four operations, the decimal point, the square root and = for the result). (2) A calculator maker's guide for a school scientific model (1997), https://archive.org/details/manualsonline-id-7694cf74-0334-4ebb-8f1e-f901f463cab4 (ON/C turns the calculator on and clears it; CE/C clears the value just entered; the solar panel; the display; memory; the key that changes the sign of the value just entered; the equals key completes all pending operations; percent; square root). (3) A second maker's operation manual for a desk calculator, https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-25325 (key operations and display; clearing the memory; the built-in solar cell; the decimal point). Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Own original design; no maker’s model, name or mark is shown. Licence: own work
How it works
To label the parts of a calculator, write a name on the line for each number. Twelve numbers are on a basic solar calculator seen from the front: its display, each kind of key, and the solar cell.
Read the full guide
Calculator worksheet word bank
In alphabetical order, to copy onto the board: change sign key (+/−), clear entry key (CE), decimal point key, display, equals key, memory keys, number keys, on/clear key (ON/C), operation keys, percent key, solar cell, square root key.
The names that get swapped
Three numbers stand for a whole set of keys. Number 2 points at the 0 and means all ten number keys. Number 3 points at the minus key and means the four keys of the right-hand column. Number 8 means the three keys marked with an M. Numbers 6 and 7 both clear: ON/C is the on/clear key and CE the clear entry key. Number 11 shows a plus and a minus, yet it is one key, the change sign key.
When marking, also accept screen for the display and solar panel for the solar cell.
For a shorter sheet, set Start from to The main parts: five numbers, with the other keys and the solar cell left faint.
Questions and answers
What is the screen on a calculator called?
The display, or display panel. On most calculators it is a liquid-crystal display, LCD for short, and on a basic calculator each digit is built from seven segments.
Is a calculator keypad laid out like a phone keypad?
No. On a calculator the 7, 8 and 9 keys sit two rows above the 1, 2 and 3 keys. A telephone keypad has 1, 2 and 3 on top and 7, 8 and 9 on the third row.
How do you turn off a calculator with no off key?
Some calculators have no key for it, like the one on this sheet. They go off after a moment with no key pressed, when the solar cell is covered, or when the lid is closed.
Does the calculator worksheet have an answer key?
Yes. The answer key prints the calculator with its numbers and lists the twelve names in order, from display to solar cell.