Son needs a calculator...

[dobberhd]

For a chemistry class, the teacher ensuring a calculator has an EXP function is referring to the EE button that Isgrimnur has mentioned several times. The students are going to be using numbers such as 6 × 10^23 and the like, which require a power-of-ten button (EXP on most calculators, but EE on some others such as this TI model).

It's called (well, it was in my circles anyway) scientific notation and is used for representing very large or very small numbers.

Molecules are very small, and moles are very large (quantities).

I could make excuses for my overly elaborate mistake(s) but I'll simply admit I added to the confusion and leave it at that. Sorry Blackhawk.

From my experience, when students try to do scientific notation 'manually' without the 'EE', they tend to lose the order of operations. And since most of us cannot do scientific notation in our heads, you really have to reliably enter things in your calculator properly. Otherwise, we generally lack much intuition on the validity of the answer the screen shows.

[Blackhawk]

For a chemistry class, the teacher ensuring a calculator has an EXP function is referring to the EE button that Isgrimnur has mentioned several times. The students are going to be using numbers such as 6 × 10^23 and the like, which require a power-of-ten button (EXP on most calculators, but EE on some others such as this TI model).

It's called (well, it was in my circles anyway) scientific notation and is used for representing very large or very small numbers.

Molecules are very small, and moles are very large (quantities).

I could make excuses for my overly elaborate mistake(s) but I'll simply admit I added to the confusion and leave it at that. Sorry Blackhawk.

All I can say for sure is that his new chemistry/physics teacher handed out a supply list that included 'calculator with EXP button.' I'm guessing it is for scientific notation, but I don't know for sure.

Scientific notation I remember. Likewise moles. I still have nightmares about molarity (it is the point in college chemistry where my weak math education came along and bit me in the ass.)

[Chaz]

I'm not a math person, but I'd say see if you can make the calculator you have now work. It sounds like it should be fine.

I was a year ahead in math too, but it was by accident, and I'm very not a math person. I wound up having to get a graphing calculator for AP Calc, and got a TI-85. It wound up being a problem because most everyone else had an 83, the teacher wasn't familiar with it, and it didn't have a built-in table function like the 83s did.

I made it work, and made it through the class, then never took another math class again, and lost track of the thing (or I'd send it along). So I guess what I'm saying is don't buy a new calculator now unless the teacher says the current one won't work, worry about a graphing calculator if it's explicitly needed. There's value in knowing a calculator well, but pretty much every kid in that class is going to be learning how to use the advanced features at the same time, so there'll be lots of time to learn. I'd also say don't assume that being in advanced math is any indication of the kid going into engineering or math long term. I was in advanced math, and then dove headfirst into liberal arts and dropped math as fast as I could.

We did have a tetris program that ran on the calculators, so that was cool. I also figured out a way to smuggle formulas into the AP test via a bogus program on the calculator, so that was cool too.

[The Meal]

I would agree to not upgrade the calculator until that time comes. It's not a minor expense, and you don't want to prematurely lock into one model before it becomes necessary. There's nothing wrong with learning the functions on a $10 calculator ahead of time.

[Blackhawk]

So, it turns out that his uncle has a TI-84 lying around collecting dust. It'll be on the way in the mail on Monday. Given that his plan is a general 'go to school for engineering' after high school, I like the idea of getting him used to the change now. School started yesterday, so he'll have several months to get used to the new calculator before significant testing.

[GreenGoo]

I found my old calculator that I used at the end of high school and for university.

Did a good search, a lot of references were about *vintage* technology. So, that's

Here's a pic.



edit: Huh. bigimg didn't do anything.