Imagine you want to calculate<\/p>\n
8<\/sup>\/2×4<\/sub><\/p>\n The answer should be 1, of course: in a fraction, there are unwritten brackets around the numerator and around the denominator.<\/p>\n Unless you have a calculator that accepts up-and-down fraction input (such as a Sharp WriteView<\/em> or a Casio Natural Display<\/em>), your calculator needs to be told what’s in the numerator versus what’s in the denominator. Of course, this can be done using brackets: the written calculation<\/p>\n 8<\/sup>\/2×4<\/sub><\/p>\n can safely be entered as<\/p>\n 8\/(2×4)<\/p>\n but typically not<\/p>\n 8\/2×4<\/p>\n In the last case, the calculator (including the Sharp EL-520W) will likely divide 8 by 2, then multiply by 4, giving 16.<\/p>\n However, the Sharp EL-520W seems to perceive<\/p>\n 8\/2(4)<\/p>\n as meaning that the 4 is in the denominator: it gives the answer 1.<\/p>\n So, to the Sharp EL-520W, 8\u00f72×4 is not the same as 8\u00f72(4). Beware: not all calculators share this opinion.<\/strong> With the EL-520W, Sharp perhaps tries to anticipate the user’s intention rather than just taking the entry literally.<\/p>\n HTH:)<\/p>\n