<p>Hello, my friend recently told me that for the SAT II Math 2, one should just buy the TI-89 because allegedly, it can perform many fucntions that the TI-84 cannot.</p>
<p>As such, I'm wondering if anybody has any information/tricks regarding this.</p>
<p>I have used google but cannot find any SAT II Math specific tricks or advantages that the TI-89 has over the TI-84..</p>
<p>Anybody who could shed a bit of light on this question would be highly appreciated.</p>
<p>I found that I didn't need a calculator at all for the most part. TI-89 is definitely not necessary. if it makes you feel better though, I'm sure you could save a few seconds with some of its built-in functions.</p>
<p>Haha, what are some of the built-in functions.</p>
<p>As far as I know.... we only need calc for:</p>
<p>Matrices/Determinants, Standard Deviation, Extrapolation?</p>
<p>Anything else?</p>
<p>Seems to me my D had to borrow a TI-84 from her brother (to whom she passed her 84 when she bought the 89 because it was required for a calc class) to use on either the SATI or the SATII Math 2 because using the TI-89 wasn't allowed...AND...she lamented having bought the 89 at all because she found it comparitively difficult to use and felt the 84 would have sufficed.</p>
<p>^ Oh, but in order for it to be outlawed, it would need to be able to function for a lot more things than TI-84.</p>
<p>For curiosity's sake, what would those functions be? Maybe, I can learn what's too powerful for the TI-89 and write something up for TI-84</p>
<p>lol it can solve derivatives, integrals, implicit differentiation, you name it. It's $20 more. In a college level Engineering course you will NEED it.</p>
<p>The Ti-84 can also solve derivatives/integrals etc..</p>
<p>none of which we need for the Math 2</p>
<p>Any other ideas?</p>
<p>TI-89 can solve derivatives, integrals, limits, etc symbolically. You can type in the expression with variables and it will give you the answer.</p>
<p>For Math II, the equation solver and expression expanding/factoring capabilites might be helpful.</p>
<p>^ The TI-84 also has an equation solver... not sure about factoring capabilities.</p>
<p>But I see what you mean about the TI-89. But for the MATH 2, there isn't that much calc stuff is there?</p>
<p>I always use TI-89 on Math 2.
3-4 questions are often solved ("solve" function, doh) faster on that machine.
I am not saying using TI-84 will prevent you from getting 800.</p>
<p>^lolilaughed - there is no calc on Math 2 you'd need TI-89 for.
In October there was question on maximum, but it was peanuts to answer with sheer graphing and tracing.
I wish TI-89 was a literary device and allowed on Literature. :D</p>
<p>just to put it into perspective, I just used a scientific calculator and got 800... in fact, I'm pretty sure they designed it so you don't HAVE to have a calculator to get every question correct.</p>
<p>as a person who used both, lemme tell you i hated the 89. it was like using a sword when a needle was required.
teh 84 is more than enough. the calculus and all in math 2 is so basic that even a 84 is not required. but 84 is perfect for all ur needs. the right blend of smart, speed and simplicity. plus cheaper too.</p>
<p>The 89 is much better if you know how to use it. It can solve systems (technically, you can do this with matrices on an 84, but who would want to do that? it would take like twice as long...), help you with max/min problems, find limits, sigmas (this can be done with sum(seq(blahblah)) on 84 but is much more powerful and intuitive on an 89). An 89 has a computer algebra system. This means that if you plug in something like (x+y)^3 (that's (x+y) cubed) you can ask for it to be expanded to x^3 + 3 x^2 y + 3 x y^2 + y^3. All around, it has more functions and is just an upgraded, more powerful calculator. The only argument you could make for it being worse is if you haven't used it and you are saying that it is "too complicated." It's really not bad once you get used to it.</p>
<p>just to add, i used an 89 and got an 800, and while i would've got an 800 with an 84, it would have taken a lot more effort.</p>
<p>YEah... I agree. The TI 89 is crazy awesome. The factor/solve/expand functions are incredible, especially for the IIC test. I believe it also graphs faster than the 84?</p>
<p>If ti-84 is good, ti-89 is god.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: Only when you know how to use the 89 will you unlock its true power!</p>
<p>i love my TI 84.</p>
<p>but i hear the TI 89 is beastly. </p>
<p>i used my 84 and my brain and got an 800. it's not about your calculator; it's about you. you're the one using it, so if you don't know how to operate the scary machine that is the TI 89, don't bother wiht it...same goes for the TI 84. learn to use it before you take the test****</p>
<p>A lot of TI 84 functions are so slow they're useless. If you know what you're doing, you can have it graph the integral of a function. That takes about 10 minutes, and you can't stop it.</p>
<p>I also used an 84 and got 800. Knowing how to use the calculator is a lot more valuable than simply having a good calculator.</p>
<p>"The 89 is much better if you know how to use it. It can solve systems (technically, you can do this with matrices on an 84, but who would want to do that? it would take like twice as long...), help you with max/min problems, find limits, sigmas (this can be done with sum(seq(blahblah)) on 84 but is much more powerful and intuitive on an 89). An 89 has a computer algebra system. This means that if you plug in something like (x+y)^3 (that's (x+y) cubed) you can ask for it to be expanded to x^3 + 3 x^2 y + 3 x y^2 + y^3. All around, it has more functions and is just an upgraded, more powerful calculator. The only argument you could make for it being worse is if you haven't used it and you are saying that it is "too complicated." It's really not bad once you get used to it."</p>
<p>I have a TI-89 that I inherited from my brother after losing my TI-83, but I never really learned how to use it. For what I use it for, it's simply more tedious. Is there a place which explains how to use these functions that are relevant to the Math IIC?</p>
<p>^ I would also like to know the above..</p>
<p>Thanks for all the comments; it's really helpful. What it comes down to sounds like even if you do get the TI-89 (I have both calculators) you still need to learn how to use to be able to maximize your efficiency on MATH 2C.</p>
<p>To those saying that it's about the person not the calculator, I completely agree; however, I do not see the need to reinvent the wheel each time I do a problem -- the calculator will supplement what I already know. </p>
<p>Some more questions...</p>
<p>gcf, where did you learn how to use the TI-89 for Math 2C?</p>
<p>Can those who used the TI-89 tell me how you used the calc in relation to the problems? E.g. which things on the TI-89 did you use the most etc.</p>