Calculator for engineering student

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>My son has a TI84. He thinks he needs a TI89 for his math classes. He is starting with Calculus 2. Does he need this right away or will the one he have be sufficient? Those things are expensive! Thanks for any advice.</p>

2

<p>Just asked my S (just finished calc III) and he had no problem using his TI84 for calc nor his engineering classes (so far). So I’d say this is one of those “Why add another expense at this time.”</p>

3

<p>I wasn’t allowed to use a scientific calculator much less a graphing calculator in Calc 2. Four function or nothing.</p>

4

<p>For math classes (calculus, diff eq, etc), you won’t need a calculator. For engineering classes, use what you’re comfortable with. I had an 89, and I loved it. Well worth the expense, IMO.</p>

5

<p>At what point do the engineering students need a TI-84 or higher? In ENGR 111 Engineering for the Future or ENGR 131 Engineering Concepts and Design I?</p>

6

<p>Son has found his TI-84 Plus sufficient for Math (Calc II and III), Physics 1 and 2, and freshman mech. engineering courses. In fact he said that calculators were not allowed during math exams.</p>

7

<p>In calc II we weren’t allowed to use a calculator at all. Made it really rough, but you get over it. In Calc III and all subsequent engineering courses I have had no trouble using either my TI-89 or my simpler, older TI-83 Silver. Both work fine. Use Wolfram Alpha if something is too complex for your calculator (i.e. complex integration or diff eq probs).</p>

8

<p>Graphing calculators are useful but not necessary in the freshman engineering courses (ENGR 1000 level courses), but are all but necessary starting from your engineering fundamentals courses (the 200 level courses in your discipline).</p>

<p>What I like about the 89 is not even the graphing capabilities (for which computer software such as MATLAB, Mathmatica, or Wolfram Alpha are of better use), but the advanced display capabilities of the CAS (the calculator’s internal engine). It returns expressions you enter in a format similar to how you would write it on paper whereas the 84 returns them as a flat string of characters. (Or, at least, they used to back in my day. Things could have easily changed since then). It’s hard to explain without showing you a picture. Here are some (if CC lets me link to it):</p>

<p><a href=“http://uploads.siteduzero.com/files/107001_108000/107255.png[/url]”>http://uploads.siteduzero.com/files/107001_108000/107255.png&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.techpoweredmath.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/TI-89-SUMMATION1.jpg[/url]”>http://www.techpoweredmath.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/TI-89-SUMMATION1.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

9

<p>Thanks feenotype. I will show my D the pictures you posted. What is/was your major?</p>

10

<p>I was in chemical engineering.</p>

11

<p>My son’s a math major, so engineering students are usually in many of his classes. He said that the calculator is not permitted in many cases, or you just do not need one.</p>

<p>While I understand the need in upper-level math/science/engineering classes, I am very anti-calculator at the primary and secondary levels. To see kids adding 12 plus 4 on the calculator as HS freshmen is bothersome. But that’s a different rant for a different day.</p>

12

<p>In one of my son’s math classes, they were allowed to use simple calculators for tests, but not the graphing ones. So, he had to keep 2 calculators with him all the time. </p>

<p>BTW…my kids each have 2 graphing calculators and 1 regular one. They would keep one graphing and one regular one in their backpacks…and one graphing one on their desks.</p>