Appendix D: Complete 43-Button Map & Quick Finder
D.1 How the 43 Buttons Are Organized on Your Keypad
The StackCalc SC-6 keypad is built for fast, comfortable thumb and finger movement, with every math tool grouped into three easy-to-find zones:
D.1.1 Upper Math & Number Sense Zone (Rows 0–2, 6 Columns)
The top three rows of the keypad gather your advanced exploration tools into a 6-column grid—placing powers ([x²], [x³]), place value ([PV]), fraction towers ([a ᵇ/c], [g] [SIMP]), prime number theory ([GCF], [PRIME]), and data-detective tools ([Σ+], [IQR], [g] [x̄]) right beneath the daylight screen:
| Row | Col 0 | Col 1 | Col 2 | Col 3 | Col 4 | Col 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row 0 | [x²] |
[x!] |
[π] |
[x³] |
[PV] |
[$] |
| Row 1 | [FDISP] |
[a ᵇ/c] |
[GCF] |
[PRIME] |
[x⇄y] |
[+/-] |
| Row 2 | [FRQ] |
[RNG] |
[IQR] |
[Σ+] |
[N] |
[%] |
D.1.2 Hands-On Math Modes & Stack Elevator Zone (Row 3)
Across the middle bridge of the calculator sits the double-wide [ENTER] key—spanning Columns 0 and 1 right under your left thumb—alongside your instant-launch visual studio keys ([🕒] Geared Clock, [▦] Ten-Frame, and [NUM] Stack View) and the [<-] backspace key:
| Row | Col 0 & 1 (Double-Wide) | Col 2 | Col 3 | Col 4 | Col 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row 3 | [ENTER] |
[🕒] |
[▦] |
[NUM] |
[<-] |
D.1.3 Lower Arithmetic & Geometry Zone (Rows 4–7, 5 Columns)
The bottom four rows use extra-wide 5-column spacing for fast, mistake-free digit entry (0–9), the four core operations (÷, ×, -, +) down the right edge, and the polyhedral dice key ([🎲]), shift latches ([f], [g]), and [C] (ON / [f] [?] Quiz) down the left edge:
| Row | Col 0 | Col 1 | Col 2 | Col 3 | Col 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row 4 | [🎲] |
[7] |
[8] |
[9] |
[÷] |
| Row 5 | [f] (f-Shift) |
[4] |
[5] |
[6] |
[×] |
| Row 6 | [g] (g-Shift) |
[1] |
[2] |
[3] |
[-] |
| Row 7 | [C] (ON) |
[0] |
[.] |
[≠] |
[+] |
D.1.4 How the Three Labels on Every Button & Number-Pad Shortcuts Work
Look closely at any button on your SC-6 and you will spot up to three labels—plus a clever spatial pattern hidden across the number pad (1–9). The bold Primary Legend printed on the keycap face runs with a single tap. Tapping [f] once lights the ↰ indicator in the top-left corner of the screen and selects the upper-left [f] label on your next key press; tapping [g] once lights ↱ and selects the upper-right [g] label (and tapping the same shift key a second time cancels it if you change your mind).
Even the number pad (1–9 and -) is organized as a visual map so your fingers can find geometry builders and measurement conversions without hunting:
| Number-Pad Zone | Keys | [f] Shift (Top-Left) |
[g] Shift (Top-Right) |
Why It Is Grouped This Way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row 4: 2D & 3D Geometry Workbench | 7, 8, 9 |
[f] [RECT], [f] [CIRC], [f] [PRISM] |
[g] [TRI], [g] [HYP], [g] [CONE] |
Moves left-to-right from flat rectangles/triangles (7) and circles/right triangles (8) to 3D prisms/cones (9) |
| Row 5: Everyday Weight, Distance & Volume | 4, 5, 6 |
[f] [▸g], [f] [▸ft], [f] [▸mL] |
[g] [▸oz], [g] [▸mi], [g] [▸fl] |
Pairs grams/ounces (4), feet/miles (5), and milliliters/fluid ounces (6) across [f] (left) and [g] (right) |
| Row 6: Heavy Mass, Temperature, Length & Tanks | 1, 2, 3, - |
[f] [▸kg], [f] [▸°C], [f] [▸cm], [f] [▸L] |
[g] [▸lb], [g] [▸°F], [g] [▸in], [g] [▸gal] |
Tapping [f] converts to Metric (kg, °C, cm, L); tapping [g] on the same key converts to U.S. Customary (lb, °F, in, gal) |
D.2 The Complete 43-Key Directory & Chapter Guide
The table below catalogs every keycap position, primary legend, [f] and [g] shift combinations, grade band, and direct links to the chapters where each key is introduced and practiced:
| Key & Grid | Primary Key | [f] Shift (Top-Left) |
[g] Shift (Top-Right) |
Grade Band & Chapter Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 (R0, C0) | [x²] |
[f] [√x] Root |
[g] [yˣ] Power |
Grades 5–6+ • Chapter 6: Square Area & Roots • Chapter 4: Powers |
| 02 (R0, C1) | [x!] |
[f] [nCr] Combinations |
[g] [nPr] Permutations |
Grades 6+ • Chapter 7: Counting Choices & Arrangements |
| 03 (R0, C2) | [π] |
[f] [e] Euler |
[g] [ˣ√y] Root |
Grades 5–6+ • Chapter 6: Circle Geometry & 3D Volumes |
| 04 (R0, C3) | [x³] |
[f] [10ˣ] Power of 10 |
[g] [LOG] Base-10 |
Grades 5–6+ • Chapter 6: 3D Cube Volumes • Chapter 3: Place Value Powers |
| 05 (R0, C4) | [PV] |
[f] [IP] Whole Part |
[g] [FP] Fraction Part |
Grades 3–4 • Chapter 3: Place Value Decomposition • Chapter 5: Whole & Fractional Parts |
| 06 (R0, C5) | [$] |
[f] [ALL] Full Digits |
[g] [RND] Round |
Grades 3–5 • Chapter 3: Currency & Place Value • Chapter 4: Rounding |
| 07 (R1, C0) | [FDISP] |
[f] [1/x] Reciprocal |
[g] [/c] Denominator |
Grades 3–5 • Chapter 5: Fraction Entry, Reciprocals & Fixed Denominators |
| 08 (R1, C1) | [a ᵇ/c] |
[f] [d/c] Improper |
[g] [SIMP] Simplify |
Grades 3–5 • Chapter 5: Mixed Numbers, Improper Fractions & Simplify |
| 09 (R1, C2) | [GCF] |
[f] [LCM] Multiple |
[g] [a:b] Ratio |
Grades 5–6 • Chapter 7: Number Theory GCF & LCM • Chapter 5: Ratios & Rates |
| 10 (R1, C3) | [PRIME] |
[f] [C.FAC] Common Factors |
[g] [FACT] Factor Tree |
Grades 5–6 • Chapter 7: Prime Studio & Factorization |
| 11 (R1, C4) | [x⇄y] |
[f] [R↓] Roll Down |
[g] [REP] Replicate |
Grades 3–4 • Chapter 2: Stack Swapping & Rolling • Chapter 4: Constant Repeat Skip-Counting |
| 12 (R1, C5) | [+/-] |
[f] [E] Exponent |
[g] [|x|] Absolute Value |
Grades 5–6 • Chapter 7: Signed Numbers & Absolute Value • Chapter 3: Big Numbers |
| 13 (R2, C0) | [FRQ] |
[f] [MED] Median |
[g] [MODE] Mode |
Grades 5–6 • Chapter 7: Frequency Tables, Median & Mode |
| 14 (R2, C1) | [RNG] |
[f] [MIN] Minimum |
[g] [MAX] Maximum |
Grades 5–6 • Chapter 7: Data Spread & Extremes |
| 15 (R2, C2) | [IQR] |
[f] [1Q] Quartile 1 |
[g] [3Q] Quartile 3 |
Grades 6+ • Chapter 7: Quartiles & Box Plots |
| 16 (R2, C3) | [Σ+] |
[f] [Σ-] Remove |
[g] [MAD] Mean Deviation |
Grades 4–6 • Chapter 6: Master Surface Area via Stats • Chapter 7: Mean Absolute Deviation |
| 17 (R2, C4) | [N] |
[f] [Σx] Total Sum |
[g] [x̄] Mean Average |
Grades 5–6 • Chapter 7: Sample Count & Fair-Share Mean |
| 18 (R2, C5) | [%] |
[f] [▸%] Decimal to % |
[g] [%CHG] % Change |
Grades 5–6 • Chapter 5: Percentages, Tips & Discounts |
| 19 (R3, C0-1) | [ENTER] |
[f] [LASTX] Last X |
[g] [SHOW] Full 15-Digit |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 2: The Elevator Push • Chapter 4: Last Number Self-Check |
| 20 (R3, C2) | [🕒] |
[f] [▸HR] Decimal Hours |
[g] [▸HMS] Clock Time |
Grades 3–5 • Chapter 6: Planetary Geared Clock & Elapsed Time |
| 21 (R3, C3) | [▦] |
[f] [LINE] Number Line |
[g] [COUNT] Step Count |
Grades 3–5 • Chapter 3: Ten-Frame, Number Line & Number Rack |
| 22 (R3, C4) | [NUM] |
[f] [SCI] Scientific |
[g] [FIX] Fixed Decimals |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 2: Numerical 4-Stack Mode • Chapter 3: Display Formats |
| 23 (R3, C5) | [<-] |
[f] [CSTK] Clear Stack |
[g] [CLΣ] Clear Stats |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 2: Backspace & Clear Stack • Chapter 6: Clear Stats Basket |
| 24 (R4, C0) | [🎲] |
[f] [1…x] Random Roll |
[g] [t…x] Random Range |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 7: Polyhedral Dice & Probability Trials |
| 25 (R4, C1) | [7] |
[f] [RECT] Area |
[g] [TRI] Area |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 6: Rectangle & Triangle Area (7 + 2D Polygon Areas) |
| 26 (R4, C2) | [8] |
[f] [CIRC] Area |
[g] [HYP] Hypotenuse |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 6: Circle Area & 3-4-5 Hypotenuse (8 + Curved/Slanted Shapes) |
| 27 (R4, C3) | [9] |
[f] [PRISM] Volume |
[g] [CONE] Volume |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 6: 3D Prism & Cone Volumes (9 + 3D Solid Builders) |
| 28 (R4, C4) | [÷] |
[f] [MOD] Remainder |
[g] [÷R] Quotient & Rem |
Grades 3–5 • Chapter 4: Division, Quotient & Remainder |
| 29 (R5, C0) | [f] (f-Shift) |
(f-Shift Latch) | (f-Shift Latch) | Grades 3–6 • Chapter 1: Primary f-Shift Key |
| 30 (R5, C1) | [4] |
[f] [▸g] Grams |
[g] [▸oz] Ounces |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 9: 3D Print Filament Weight (▸g / ▸oz) |
| 31 (R5, C2) | [5] |
[f] [▸ft] Feet |
[g] [▸mi] Miles |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 9: Field & Road Distance Scaling (▸ft / ▸mi) |
| 32 (R5, C3) | [6] |
[f] [▸mL] Milliliters |
[g] [▸fl] Fluid Ounces |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 9: Kitchen & Lab Liquid Volumes (▸mL / ▸fl) |
| 33 (R5, C4) | [×] |
— | [g] [FLAGS] System Flags |
Grades 3–5 • Chapter 4: Array Multiplication • Chapter 2: Stack Depth Modes |
| 34 (R6, C0) | [g] (g-Shift) |
(g-Shift Latch) | (g-Shift Latch) | Grades 3–6 • Chapter 1: Secondary g-Shift Key |
| 35 (R6, C1) | [1] |
[f] [▸kg] Kilograms |
[g] [▸lb] Pounds |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 9: Heavy Mass Conversions (▸kg / ▸lb) |
| 36 (R6, C2) | [2] |
[f] [▸°C] Celsius |
[g] [▸°F] Fahrenheit |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 9: Solar Oven & Weather Temperatures (▸°C / ▸°F) |
| 37 (R6, C3) | [3] |
[f] [▸cm] Centimeters |
[g] [▸in] Inches |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 9: Caliper & Ruler Length Conversions (▸cm / ▸in) |
| 38 (R6, C4) | [-] |
[f] [▸L] Liters |
[g] [▸gal] Gallons |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 4: Subtraction • Chapter 9: Water & Tank Volumes |
| 39 (R7, C0) | [C] (ON) |
[f] [?] Quiz Sprint |
[g] [OFF] Sleep |
Grades 3–6 • Chapter 1: Wake & Sleep • Chapter 8: Math Quiz Game |
| 40 (R7, C1) | [0] |
[f] [REGS] Stack Viewer |
— | Grades 3–6 • Chapter 3: Zero & Place Value • Chapter 2: Stack Viewer |
| 41 (R7, C2) | [.] |
[f] [0.3̄] Repeating |
— | Grades 3–5 • Chapter 5: Two-Dot Fractions & Repeating Decimals |
| 42 (R7, C3) | [≠] |
[f] [>] Greater Than |
[g] [<] Less Than |
Grades 3–5 • Chapter 4: Comparing Numbers • Chapter 8: Quiz Submit |
| 43 (R7, C4) | [+] |
[f] [≥] Greater/Equal |
[g] [≤] Less/Equal |
Grades 3–5 • Chapter 4: Addition & Comparisons |
D.3 Which Buttons to Explore Next & Quick Task Finder
Not sure which buttons to try next? Follow this six-step map from your very first Ten-Frame puzzles all the way to prime factor trees and mental math sprints:
| Exploration Stage | What You Can Build & Solve | Buttons to Try |
|---|---|---|
| 1. First Stack Moves | Counting groups, making 10s, and adding or subtracting on the shelves | [▦] Ten-Frame, [g] [COUNT], [f] [LINE], [+], [-], [ENTER], [C], [<-] |
| 2. Place Value & Skip-Counting | Breaking big numbers into 1000s/100s/10s/1s, money math, and skip-counting | [PV] Place Value, [g] [REP] Constant Repeat, [$] Money, [x⇄y] |
| 3. Tile Arrays, Area & Clock Time | Building tile rectangles, telling geared clock time, and entering fractions | [×], [÷], [f] [RECT], [🕒] Geared Clock, [FDISP], [.] |
| 4. Remainders & Fraction Towers | Sharing with leftovers, simplifying fractions to lowest terms, and checking work | [g] [÷R] Quotient & Remainder, [a ᵇ/c], [f] [d/c], [g] [SIMP], [f] [LASTX] |
| 5. Common Slices & 3D Boxes | Finding common denominators, wrapping 3D boxes, and building tally tables | [GCF], [f] [LCM], [f] [PRISM], [Σ+] Add to Total, [FRQ] Tables |
| 6. Primes, Fair Dice & Quiz Sprints | Negative numbers, prime factor trees, fair-share data averages, and quiz sprints | [+/-], [g] [|x|], [PRIME], [g] [FACT], [g] [a:b], [x²], [f] [√x], [IQR], [g] [MAD] |
D.3.1 Task-to-Button Quick Finder ("I Want To... \(\to\) Press This Key")
Whenever you are in the middle of a math puzzle or maker project and want to find the right key sequence in five seconds, look up your goal in this quick-finder table:
| I Want To... | Button Sequence to Press | Quick Example to Try |
|---|---|---|
Fix a mistyped digit before pressing [ENTER] |
Tap [<-] (Backspace) |
Type 478, tap [<-] \(\to\) 47 |
| Swap the two numbers on Shelf \(Y\) and Shelf \(X\) | Tap [x⇄y] |
8 [ENTER] 24 [x⇄y] [÷] \(\to\) 3 |
| Prove my last answer in reverse without retyping | Tap [f] [LASTX] ([ENTER]) + opposite key |
After 47 [ENTER] 36 [+] (83), tap [f] [LASTX] [-] \(\to\) 47 |
| Skip-count by the same number on every tap | Type step, tap [g] [REP] ([x⇄y]), tap [+] |
7 [g] [REP] [+] [+] [+] \(\to\) 14, 21, 28 |
| Divide and see both Whole Groups and Leftovers | Put Total in \(Y\), Group Size in \(X\), tap [g] [÷R] ([÷]) |
145 [ENTER] 45 [g] [÷R] \(\to\) X: 3 buses, Y: 10 left over |
| X-ray the digit sitting in any place-value column | Put number in \(Y\), column (1, 10, 100...) in \(X\), tap [PV] |
4725 [ENTER] 100 [PV] \(\to\) 7 hundreds |
| Enter a proper fraction (like \(\frac{3}{8}\)) or mixed number (\(2\frac{1}{4}\)) | Use two dots ([.]) to separate whole, top, and bottom |
0 [.] 3 [.] 8 [ENTER] (or [.] 3 [.] 8) or 2 [.] 1 [.] 4 [ENTER] |
| Simplify a fraction or ratio to lowest terms | Tap [g] [SIMP] ([a ᵇ/c]) |
0 [.] 12 [.] 18 [ENTER] [g] [SIMP] \(\to\) 2/3 |
| Find the Least Common Denominator of two fractions | Put denominators on \(Y\) and \(X\), tap [f] [LCM] ([GCF]) |
8 [ENTER] 12 [f] [LCM] \(\to\) 24 |
| Take a sale discount or add a tip in two taps | Put price on \(Y\), percent on \(X\), tap [%], then [-] or [+] |
80 [ENTER] 15 [%] [-] \(\to\) 68.00 |
| Find the area of a rectangle, triangle, or circle | Use [f] [RECT] ([f] 7), [g] [TRI] ([g] 7), or [f] [CIRC] ([f] 8) |
14 [ENTER] 9 [g] [TRI] \(\to\) 63 |
| Wrap all the walls of a 3D box or tent | Clear basket ([g] [CLΣ]), toss each wall into [Σ+], tap [f] [Σx] |
Toss \(3\) wall pairs into [Σ+], tap [f] [Σx] ([N]) |
Add or subtract hours and minutes (HH.MM) |
Convert with [f] [▸HR], add/subtract, convert back with [g] [▸HMS] |
9.45 [f] [▸HR] 2.35 [f] [▸HR] [+] [g] [▸HMS] \(\to\) 12.20 |
| Test if a number is prime & see its factor tree | Tap [PRIME], then tap [g] [FACT] ([PRIME]) |
60 [PRIME] (COMPOSITE), then [g] [FACT] \(\to\) 2² × 3 × 5 |
| Roll fair polyhedral dice (\(1\text{d}6\), \(2\text{d}6\), or \(1\text{d}20\)) | Tap [🎲] for \(1\text{d}6\) ([🎲] [🎲] [+] for \(2\text{d}6\)), or type \(N\) and tap [f] [1…x] ([🎲]) |
20 [f] [1…x] \(\to\) random roll from 1 to 20 |
Find the Mean ([g] [x̄]), Median ([f] [MED]), and IQR ([IQR]) |
Clear ([g] [CLΣ]), enter each data point with [Σ+], tap stat key |
After loading data with [Σ+], tap [g] [x̄] ([N]) or [f] [MED] |
D.3.2 Ten 30-Second Daily Warm-Ups Across the Keypad
Want a fast way to keep all 43 buttons fresh in your fingertips? Pick any two of these 30-second warm-ups before starting your math homework or maker project:
| Warm-Up # | Studio Focus | Exact Keystrokes to Press | What You Should See on Your Screen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ten-Frame Partner to 10 | 7 [▦] \(\to\) [NUM] 3 [+] |
Ten-frame shows 7 dots and 3 empty sockets; adding 3 completes 10 |
| 2 | Number-Line Bridge Across Zero | [f] [LINE] 4 [ENTER] 9 [-] |
Jump arc hops back 4 to 0, then 5 more left to land on -5 |
| 3 | Place-Value X-Ray Check | 8042 [ENTER] 100 [PV] |
Extracts the hundreds column digit 0 (zero hundred-flats holding the column open) |
| 4 | Constant Doubling Ladder | 2 [g] [REP] [×] [×] [×] [×] |
Doubles 2 across four taps (4 \(\to\) 8 \(\to\) 16 \(\to\) 32) |
| 5 | Remainder & Reverse Proof | 100 [ENTER] 7 [g] [÷R] \(\to\) [f] [LASTX] [×] [+] |
Splits 100 into 14 (\(X\)) with 2 left (\(Y\)), then rebuilds 100 |
| 6 | Fraction Tower Addition | 0 [.] 1 [.] 3 [ENTER] 0 [.] 1 [.] 4 [+] |
Bridges thirds and fourths on the shared twelfths grid to display 7/12 |
| 7 | 3D Box Volume Builder | 5 [ENTER] 4 [f] [RECT] 3 [f] [PRISM] |
Multiplies the \(5 \times 4 = 20\) base rectangle by height \(3\) to display Volume 60 on Shelf \(X\) |
| 8 | Geared Clock Time Jump | 2.45 [f] [▸HR] 1.30 [f] [▸HR] [+] [g] [▸HMS] |
Adds \(2\text{ hr } 45\text{ min}\) and \(1\text{ hr } 30\text{ min}\) to land on 4.15 (\(4{:}15\)) |
| 9 | Prime Factor Tree Builder | 84 [PRIME] \(\to\) [g] [FACT] |
Identifies \(84\) as COMPOSITE and reveals its prime tower 2² × 3 × 7 |
| 10 | Data Basket Mean & Median | [g] [CLΣ] 12 [Σ+] 15 [Σ+] 24 [Σ+] [g] [x̄] |
Averages the \(3\) measurements to 17.0, while [f] [MED] shows middle 15.0 |
D.3.3 Continuing Your Mathematical Journey
Every time you place a number on Shelf \(Y\) with [ENTER], watch a finished answer lift automatically to Shelf \(Z\), or unfold a 3D box into [Σ+], you are practicing the exact way scientists, architects, and engineers think: breaking big puzzles into small, honest pieces you can see and touch. Keep your math blocks and your SC-6 within reach on your desk—and whenever you are ready for trigonometric waves, orbital mechanics, and numerical calculus, Thinking in the Stack (Volume II: StackCalc SC-32) is waiting for you.