<p>I'm thinking about buying a TI-89, would it make the SAT easier for me? How much advantage would this calculator give me compared to a regular Ti-83? What type of questions would fully use its potential(ie. algebraic, etc)</p>
<p>And I am also horrible at geometry especially coordinate and shapes, just geometry in general. would the calculator help?</p>
<p>The Ti-89 should be banned from the SAT. There was a question on my past SAT which read
‘2^3000 3^2000 5^1000 List them from least to greatest’</p>
<p>The question was something like that. My ordinary Ti-83 produced an ‘overflow’ while my friend’s Ti-89 gave him the right answer.</p>
<p>It is advantageous in some situations due to its CAS.</p>
<p>TI-89’s are very useful on certain problems (like the one mentioned by redjohn). I found it incredibly useful on the Math II Subject Test and pretty useful on the PSAT (which is very similar to the SAT in question type). However, I don’t think it will help much on Geometry.</p>
<p>and a dictionary you can download which has all the SAT words --thats why it shud be banned</p>
<p>^ Yeah because a calculator is allowed to be used on the CR section. /sarcasm</p>
<p>Edit: Oh and I don’t think anyone is proposing the ban of TI-89 calculators you spammer.</p>
<p>But if you do use a TI89, bring a copy of the SAT calculator policy with you. I have had students who were told incorrectly by their proctors that they could not use it. It seems crazy to me that the proctors did not know the rules, but it happened.</p>
<p>I would not buy it just for the mere sake of having an easier time with a few questions if you already own a TI.</p>
<p>No calculator is needed for RedJohon’s problem. You only have to know that 3^2 = 9 is greater than 2^3 =8 which is greater than 5^1 =5.</p>
<p>“There was a question on my past SAT which read ‘2^3000 3^2000 5^1000 List them from least to greatest.’ The question was something like that.”</p>
<p>List them? Obviously, that could not be a question on the SAT. As others have said, the Ti-89 can be very useful on the Subject Tests. On the other hand, one has to consider the benefits of using a calculator against the potential waste of time. Grabbing the calculator when a problem can be solved easily through reasoning is a sure way to LOSE points. </p>
<p>The biggest benefit of the TI-89 might be that the user will have spend considerable time learning how to approach the test and PRACTICE using the calculator in the SAT context. On the SAT test itself, the value of the calculator ranges for am atypical VERY small positive to a much more common slight NEGATIVE. </p>
<p>Unless one knows how to make the little wonder sing AND understand the question, it makes no sense to rely on the TI-89 for the basic SAT.</p>
<p>The fact that TCB allows the 89 on the SAT should be enough warning that it does not really help the average student! :)</p>
<p>If student is well prepared, [s]he would need neither some kinds of extra calculators nor magic tinctures…</p>
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<p>Really? Jesus…
I said in my post that the question was SIMILAR to that. I think I am well aware of the questions that were on my past SAT…</p>
<p>There is no doubt that every problem can be solved with no calculator, much less a TI89, by SOME students. But there are students who are good thinkers, good readers, but not so good at formal algebra. And there are students whose basic algebra is shaky. These are not people who are expecting 700s in math. The test-taking universe is a lot bigger than the college-confidential universe. For a student working to get to 600-650, the TI89 may give them a small boost. I would not go buy one if I already had an 84. But if someone handed me one, I’d learn to use it.</p>
<p>@redjohn
"The Ti-89 should be banned from the SAT. There was a question on my past SAT which read
‘2^3000 3^2000 5^1000 List them from least to greatest’</p>
<p>The question was something like that. My ordinary Ti-83 produced an ‘overflow’ while my friend’s Ti-89 gave him the right answer. "</p>
<p>Ez way to answer the question is to convert it to log. So 2^3000 3^2000 5^1000 would become 3000log2, 2000log3, 1000log5. Those are better numbers for calculator to chew</p>
<p>so? is the ti 89 a must??? or not??? Is it a good one? is it an advantage? will it help the average test taker with not so good math skills? are the ti 83, 84, 86 good as well?</p>
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<p>No reason to be so defensive. </p>
<p>While you might well aware of the questions you saw on one of your tests, it remains that the example you gave does NOT seem to be anything that has appeared on the SAT I, regardless of the similarity! It is possible that such question appeared in an experimental section, but there is a reason why it does not seem to have been EVER discussed in this forum. </p>
<p>In this thread, the question was about problems that could be solved with a graphic calculator. Without having a clear and precise description of the EXACT question, it is impossible to ascertain if the use of a Ti-89 is a benefit or a nuisance. Fwiw, discussions about the use of the TI-89 have taken place on CC for years. And, the result is hardly positive for the basic SAT. It’s a different story for the Subject Tests!</p>