<p>Hey guy, I'm pretty sure I'm going into chemical engineering next year in college, and I was just wondering what is a good calculator for stuff that is like caculus1-4 and caculus based physics? It doesn't have to do everything for me I still wanna do the problems a lot on my own when I can but id like to have a descent graphing caclulator that can also graph tigg functions and stuff so I can check my anaswers. The caclulator can not be to fancy or one of my instructors might not allow it. Any help at all is apperciated. Thanks guys.</p>
<p>I highly recommend the TI-89 Titanium.</p>
<p>That sounds like an insane calculator lol but idk if some of my classes will let me have it 
I need one that will be aloud for all of my classes and I think one of my instructors won’t let anyone use higher than a TI-84 I think? so perferable a good calculator either being that or something you guys recomment more.</p>
<p>so find an old/used 83/84 and get a ti89 as well. the 89 is great because it can do symbolic equations containing variables, plus implicit differentiation and integration, and much more</p>
<p>I’m a TI-89 fan myself, and I keep a little solar TI-34 for those instances when the 89 isn’t allowed.</p>
<p>Seriously, the world of calculators is basically divided between cheap basic calculators and expensive graphing calculators, and few professors will parse it any finer when deciding what is or is not allowed. Going with an 83 based on what one professor thinks means denying yourself a better calculator for all the rest. Pick a calculator you like for you, and plan on using a cheapo model (or borrowing your roommate’s TI-84) when it is dissallowed. </p>
<p>Incidentally, there are lots of good non-TI calculators out there, but having “grown up” on TI I tend to stick to their calculators. Perhaps we’ll get an HP fan on here to give you more options.</p>
<p>Ti calculators tend to be computationally weak(I dare you to do 9000! on your TI-89). I would highly suggest the HP 50G. It is a all around better unit than the Ti models. Most people use Ti not because they even considered other brands, but because they were indoctrinated with them in the schools. The best graphing calculator on the market is the 50G and the best scientific come from Casio.</p>
<p>I have a TI 84 Plus. TI 89 is better. 84 is easier to use but if you get the hang of 89 you’re in good shape.</p>
<p>Forget the TI89. I used my girlfriend’s over the summer for my classes and had to get my own for the fall and I thought hell, I’ll take a chance with the HP50. I find it much much better, if not for the speed then for the equation writer. It is the most useful thing in the world, you don’t need to make sure you keep up with your stupid parenthesis because it shows the equation in the form that you would actually write it. The calculator is easy to use, just sift through the manual once, take two days to figure it out or just figure it out on your first physics/calc problem set and you’re golden.</p>
<p>Get the HP50. Trust me, I tried them both, this one is better. Plus, you won’t get annoyed at the graphing because it isn’t slow like TI89 since the processor/memory is a huge upgrade too.</p>
<p>However, some classes don’t let me use a graphing calculator. In that case, I buy like a TI30 or something, usually in those cases all you need to do are annoying uneven calculations and use trig.</p>
<p>If you want more computational power, don’t get an 89. I only recommended it because of all the scripts widely available and because everyone knows how to use it. The 89 hasn’t changed since its inception over 10 years ago, other than added ram and usb in the titanium. so while it was state-of-the-art back then, it severely lacks processing power now. oh and they are still the same price but more cuz of inflation</p>
<p>or: [xkcd:</a> 1996](<a href=“http://xkcd.com/768/]xkcd:”>xkcd: 1996)</p>
<p>Honestly, I’d suggest just getting a TI-34. It does 99% of the things you’ll need it to do, and there is a good chance most of your classes won’t let you use much more anyhow.</p>
<p>you really don’t need one of those fancy TI calculators. It’s a policy at my school that we can’t use any calculator unless it’s approved on the FE exam. (which are just basic scientific calculators). I have the Casio fx-115 ES and it works fine for me (solves simultaneous equations too which is a plus).</p>
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<p>Seconded. Even if you can’t use it on tests (which is dubious), I feel that it is an incredibly useful tool. The only real mobile rival that I can think of is the Wolfram Alpha app on the iPhone, but that is a bit more cumbersome and you definitely won’t be able to use it on any test. </p>
<p>The TI-89 lets you compute reasonable integrals fairly quickly, solve complex equations, and perform symbolic transforms.</p>
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I have yet to need to! Seriously, I use a combination of basic calculator, graphing calculator, and computer, and the problem you describe is not something I have ever needed to calculate, and if I did I do not think going to the computer would be a hardship.</p>
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Of course not - most of the functions are replicated by commonly available computer software (and often free to college students), and many classes disallow them for tests. They are, however, a good learning tool for many students and convenient for some uses.</p>
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Not a bad policy IMO, and I recommend having such a calculator regardless. For students who like working away from a computer and/or need a little math help, graphing calculators are a valuable tool. FWIW, many of my courses DO allow the high-end calculators.</p>
<p>I haven’t been able to use a Ti-89 in calculus yet(1-3)</p>
<p>The calculus series is usually very strict about the 89 on exams, specifically because it can handle some integral and differential equations. At the same time, that can make it quite useful for doing homework in those courses.</p>
<p>in calc 1-2 we weren’t able to use any kind of graphing calculator. everything after that including classes with calculus applications they honestly didn’t care. the tests were tough and long enough that having a ti-89 only helped you shave a few minutes off</p>
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<p>You may not need to, but why buy a product for the same price that can’t when you can buy one that can?</p>
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Because it provides other features that (a) I like and (b) I use - just like any other buying decision. Some people will buy a sports car that goes 30mph faster than a sedan, despite the fact that the sedan is a much more practical car and STILL goes faster than the law allows.</p>
<p>The equation writer on the HP’s is a much better selling point, as it IS something that you would use on a regular basis. It is not so much an issue for me now - after years of programming I have little problem matching parentheses - but I can see it as a big advantage to those new to more complex mathematics.</p>
<p>I use a TI-89 in all my engineering class (prof allows it!) and a TI-84 in physics and math. </p>
<p>Using the TI-89 for vectors, and integrals was nice for Statics.</p>
<p>TI 89, if you’re allowed to use em, they’re amazing. can do implicit diff/integ, for one thing
i bought mine used on campus for $70, which i think is okay. I had a TI83 from 7th grade until one day I had to solve a matrix with imaginary numbers in it and the 83 couldn’t handle it.</p>
<p>It depends on your coursework, lower level (calc 1-2 for example) will not let you use it, but upper level (and real life!) will.</p>