Calculators
Microsoft Electronic Calculators
The ABR computer-based exams will be given at Pearson VUE national testing centers located in cities around the country.
Personal calculators cannot be brought into these centers.
To accommodate the calculation components of the exam, the Microsoft electronic calculator will be available to all candidates, accessed via the keyboard, mouse, and monitor. You are advised to spend some time practicing with this calculator on your personal computer prior to the exam. The calculator can be used in either standard or scientific format.
The calculator can be switched from standard to scientific using the View menu.
Standard View
Scientific View
If you are not sure what a specific key does, you can right click on the key, and a Help menu becomes available. Then click on "What's This?" to activate the help.
The Inv (Inverse) box is particularly important. Checking "Inv" accesses the Exp function.
Exercises for use with the Microsoft calculator:
The following exercises are not indicative of actual questions on the ABR exam. They are intended to help you practice with the calculator. You are encouraged to try other examples of calculations that would arise as a routine part of your daily work.
Use of ln function:
Calculate the decay constant of 99mTc from its half-life of 6.02 hr.
Use of Sin function:
What is the value of the first spherical Bessel function (sin(x)/x) at 0.25 radians? This is also sometimes called the sinc function.
Use of Hyperbolic functions:
The Gateway Arch in St Louis is famous as an inverted catenary, which is given by y=693.9 - 68.8 cosh (0.01x). When x=100ft, what is the value of y?
Finding cube roots:
The sensitivity of a photomultiplier tube is often approximated as a cos3 h function. If the relative sensitivity of the tube is 0.90, what is the effective angle h in radians?
Exponential function:
An 86-MBq source of 99mTc is allowed to decay for 14.6 hrs. What will its activity be at the end of that period?
Exponential function and use of memory:
A 99Mo/99mTc generator is eluted at time zero. This reduces the activity of 99mTc in the generator to zero. If the activity of 99Mo in the generator at time zero is 861 MBq, what will the activity of 99mTc be at 4 hrs? (The half-life of 99Mo is 67 hrs. Use the Bateman equations.)