HP 39gII User manual

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HP 39gII Graphing Calculator Quick Start Guide
Edition 3
HP Part Number: NW249-90201

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Keyboard Legend
The table and photo on the following page illustrate a few of the many features available on the HP 39gII Graphing Calculator. These
topics, as well as other features of the calculator, are discussed in the following quick start guide. For a complete list of features of the HP
39gII Graphing Calculator, refer to the HP 39gII Graphing Calculator User’s Guide on the product CD. These manuals are also found on
the HP website, www.hp.com/calculators.
Legal Notices
This manual and any examples contained herein are provided "as is" and are subject to change without notice. Hewlett-Packard Company makes no war-
ranty of any kind with regard to this manual, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, non-infringement and fitness for a par-
ticular purpose.
Hewlett-Packard Company shall not be liable for any errors or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or
use of this manual or the examples contained herein.
Copyright © 2012 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
Reproduction, adaptation, or translation of this manual is prohibited without prior written permission of Hewlett-Packard Company, except as allowed
under the copyright laws.
Printing History
Edition 3, March 2012

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HP 39gII Keyboard Legend
Number Feature
1 Screen display 256 x 128 pixels
2 Context-sensitive menu
3 Context-sensitive menu keys
4HPAppskeys
5Modes
6 Common math and science functions
7Shiftkeys
8 On (cancel)
9LastAnswer(ANS)
10 Enter key
11 Alphabetic entry
12 List, matrix, program, and note editors
13 Backspace (Clear)
14 H e l p k ey
15 C u r s o r k e ys
16 USB Connectivity

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Table of Contents
Getting Started ................................................................................................. 1
HP Apps and App Views.................................................................................... 7
HP App Summaries ......................................................................................... 13
HP Apps: Solvers and Explorers ........................................................................ 35
The Math Menus ............................................................................................. 51
Catalogs and Editors ....................................................................................... 53
Product Regulatory & Environment Information .................................................... 59

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Getting Started 1
Getting Started 1
1GettingStarted
Introduction
The HP 39gII Graphing Calculator is an easy to use, yet powerful graphing calculator designed for secondary mathematics education
and beyond. This quick start guide covers basic tasks, such as entering and editing expressions, plotting graphs, and making tables of
values. This guide also serves as an introduction to HP Apps. Finally, advanced topics, like working with lists or matrices, are also intro-
duced. It is highly recommended you refer to the HP 39gII Graphing Calculator User’s Guide on the product CD for more information
about any topic presented in this guide. This manual makes use of certain conventions with text to differentiate between key presses and
on-screen display options:
• Keyboard keys are represented by letters or words with the first letter capitalized representing the keys’ functions, for example, Symb
(Symbolic).
• SHIFT, when followed by the Letters or Words representing the keyboard keys and (Letters or Words), indicates the shifted functions
of the keyboard keys printed at the bottom of the keys, for example, SHIFT Math (Cmds).
• Menu items for menu keys are spelled out in CAPITAL letters, followed by the term, menu key.
• Field names, choose box options, and other on screen text appear in BOLD.
• Numbered keys are represented simply by printed numbers: 1, 5, 123.35, etc.

2 Getting Started
Getting Started2
Installing the Batteries
Please install the batteries according to the following procedure:
1. Turn off the calculator.
2. Slide up the battery compartment cover.
3. Insert 4 new AAA (LR03) batteries into the compartment.
4. Make sure each battery is inserted in the indicated direction.
The calculator takes 4 AAA (LR03) batteries as a main power source. When the low battery symbol is displayed, you need to replace the

Getting Started 3
Getting Started 3
batteries as soon as possible. Warning! There is danger of explosion if the battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace only with the same or
equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer. Dispose of used batteries according to the manufacturer's instructions. Do not muti-
late, puncture, or dispose of batteries in fire. The batteries can burst or explode, releasing hazardous chemicals.
The Home View
Press the On key or Home to access the Home view. The HP 39gII Home view is divided into four parts, from top to bottom. There is a
Header at the top, with the name of the HP App you're currently using and whether you are in degree (DEG) or radian (RAD) mode. Next
comes the History of calculations. Below that is the Entry Line. Finally, at the bottom is the Menu for the menu keys. The top row of keys
on the HP 39gII keyboard is labeled F1-F6. These are the context-sensitive menu keys. These keys take their functionality from the list of
functions printed at the bottom of the display, which changes as you use the various views of the calculator. There are six menu keys in
all. See Figure 1 for an illustration of these parts of the Home view.
Figure 1
Take a moment to verify the screen is at a contrast that is comfortable to your eye. To adjust the contrast, press On and hold it, then press
either the + (Plus) or the - (Minus) key repeatedly. Each press of the + or - key increases or decreases the contrast, respectively. To turn
the calculator off, press SHIFT followed by On.
Modes
To change the angle measure, the number format, etc., press SHIFT followed by Home (Modes). Use the cursor keys to scroll through the
fields. Use the CHOOSE or CHK menu keys to adjust your preferences, using the CANCL menu key to ignore a change or the OK menu
key to accept one. Once you have set your preferences on the Home Modes page, press the Home key to return to the Home view.

4 Getting Started
Getting Started4
Entering and Editing Expressions
To calculate , enter the expression then press Enter. The HP 39gII displays the results with
12 digits of accuracy.
Now press the Up cursor key twice to highlight the expression you entered. Note that two
additional menu labels are now displayed: COPY and SHOW. The SHOW command
typesets the expression using standard mathematical notation. This command is useful if you
want to check that the expression you entered - with one or more sets of parentheses - is
exactly what you want. In Modes, toggle the Textbook Display field on to automatically
display all expressions entered in Textbook Format.
Deleting and Clearing
Press the COPY menu key to see the expression pasted into the entry line as shown in the
figure to the right. If you had meant to enter , You can change the current expression by
moving the cursor to the right of the 3, then pressing the Backspace key, then typing 5. Press
On (Cancel) to cancel any entry, or Enter to execute the new calculation. Your last few
entries are automatically copied to the clipboard as well. You can copy a number or
expression into the clipboard and then paste it into another field or to the cursor location.
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Getting Started 5
Getting Started 5
While entering data in the entry line, you can use the Backspace keyCto delete any character. Note that the shift of the
Backspace key is Clear. Use Clear to clear the entire entry line, or press the On key to cancel any entry. Use the History to show all
your work as you solve problems. If you make a mistake, delete the lines from the History by selecting them and using the Backspace
key. You can use the Clear command to delete the entire history. But be careful - there is no undo for this action!
Last Answer
If you’d like to retrieve your last answer, you can using a feature called, Answer (Ans).Press
SHIFT followed by Enter (Ans).
Press Enter once again to return your last answer to the calculation history.
Storing Values in Variables
Now let’s store our numeric approximation of in the variable A. With our last ANS
displayed, press the STO menu key. Press the ALPHA key, followed by Vars (the key for the
letter A) and then press Enter. Your stored value appears as shown to the right. Note how
letters of the alphabet are printed on the lower right of many of the keys.
HELP
At any time, you can press SHIFT Views (Help) to get help on the functionality in your current view. Once in the Help system, you can
browse the entire list of topics and return to the current HP 39gII view at any time.
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6 Getting Started
Getting Started6
Understanding the Software
Menu Keys
The bottom of the display contains a menu of up to six items. Use the F1-F6 menu keys to
access the menu items.
Choose Boxes
To change the value in a Choose Box, press the CHOOS menu key, and a list of options
appears. Scroll to a new selection and press the OK menu key. You can press the CANCL
menu key to return to the previous value.
Input Fields
To enter data in an input field, scroll to the field and either press the EDIT menu key to begin
editing the current value or begin typing a new value or expression. The value or
expression you are entering will appear at the bottom of the display above the menu until
you press ENTER.
Check Boxes
Toggle the option in a Check Box off or on by using the CHK menu key.

HP Apps and App Views 7
HP Apps and App Views 7
2 HP Apps and App Views
HP Apps
Much of the functionality of the HP 39gII is partitioned into packages called HP Apps. The HP 39gII comes with 15 HP Apps; nine dedi-
cated to mathematical topics or tasks, three specialized Solvers, and three function Explorers. These apps are listed in the tables below.
As you work in these HP Apps, you enter data such as definitions of functions, window settings, and preferences of one sort or another.
The App records all of this data and automatically saves it for you. If you leave the App and come back later, all that data is still there. In
fact, you can save the App with a new name and use the original version of the App for another purpose. The new version, under the
new name, still has all of your data. You can share these apps with other HP 39gII users.
In addition to the apps described above, there are three specialized Solvers, each designed to solve problems of a specific type.
Table 1 HP Apps
HP App Name Purpose
Function Define functions and explore graphs and table of values
Solve Enter equations and values of known variables, then solve for the unknown variable
Statistics 1-Var Enter columns of data, define 1-variable statistical analyses, compute summary statistics,
and explore statistical plots
Statistics 2-Var Enter columns of data, define 2-variable statistical analyses, compute summary statistics,
and explore statistical plots
Inference Compute and explore hypothesis tests and confidence intervals
Sequence Define sequences and explore graphs and tables of values
Parametric Define parametric equations and explore their graphs and tables of values
Polar Define polar equations and explore their graphs and tables of values
Data Streamer Collect real-world data using sensors and the HP StreamSmart 410.

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HP Apps and App Views8
Finally, there are three apps designed to explore the relationships between the values of the parameters in a function and the shape of
the graph of the function.
App Views
The key to working with all HP Apps is to understand that they were designed to have the same structure, based on the symbolic,
graphic, and numeric representations of mathematical objects. These three views are supported by a set of three keys, located near the
top left of the HP 39gII keyboard. These keys are Symb, Plot, and Num. Each of these three views has an additional setup view, accessed
by pressing the SHIFT of the view's key. For example, SHIFT Plot takes you to the Plot Setup view, where you can control the plot window,
the cursor appearance, etc. All the data in these six views are automatically saved with the App. Below these three keys are three more
keys that are central to HP Apps: Home, Apps, and Views. Apps are launched from the Apps Library. Press Apps and use the up- and
down-cursor keys to select an App from the library. To launch the App, press the START menu key. Press Views to see any additional spe-
Table 2 HP Solver Apps
Solver App Name Purpose
Finance Solve TVM and Amortization problems
Linear Solver Solve 2x2 and 3x3 systems of linear equations
Triangle Solver Solve problems involving the lengths of sides and measures of angles in triangles
Table 3 HP Explorer Apps
Explorer App Name Purpose
Linear Explorer Explore the relationship between the shape of the graph and values of the parameters in
linear functions
Quadratic Explorer Explore the relationship between the shape of the graph and values of the parameters in
quadratic functions
Trig Explorer Explore the relationship between the shape of the graph and values of the parameters in
sinusoidal functions

HP Apps and App Views 9
HP Apps and App Views 9
cial views that a particular app may have. Pressing Home always takes you to the calculator history, which is not part of any App, and
thus not saved with any App. The table below summarizes the purpose of each of the six main views of HP Apps. The Function App is
used to illustrate the views in the table.
View Name and Purpose Example Display
Symbolic View
The purpose of the Symbolic view is to define mathematical objects for representation in the
Plot (graphic) and Numeric views. The way the view is used varies a bit from app to app.
This view is not used by the Solvers and Explorers, as their symbolic definitions are pre-
defined by their scope
Symbolic Setup
The purpose of this view is to allow you to overwrite one or more of the Modes settings for
an app. This view is not used by the Solvers and Explorers, as the few mode settings
needed for each app can already be changed by using menu keys within the app.
Plot View
The purpose of the Plot view of an app is to display a graphic representation of the objects
defined in the Symbolic view. The graphical representations include graphs of functions,
statistical plots, and confidence intervals. The Plot view has all the tools needed for
exploring these graphs, including Zoom, Trace, etc. For the Explorer Apps, this is the only
view for the app.

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HP Apps and App Views10
Plot Setup
The 2-page Plot Setup allows you to determine the appearance of the graphs displayed in
the Plot view. This includes all graph window settings and options.
Numeric View
This view is used to display tables of numerical values. Like the Symbolic View, this view
also varies a bit from app to app, though the purpose is always the same. For example, in
the Function, Solve, Sequence, Polar, and Parametric Apps, this view is used to display a
table of values, based on the definitions in the Symbolic view. In the Statistics 1-Var and
Statistics 2-Var Apps, this view is used to enter and store numerical data
Numeric Setup
The purpose of the Numeric Setup is to determine the appearance of the Numeric view and
the type of table provided. This view is not used by the Solve app, nor is it used by the
Solvers and Explorers. These latter apps have their Numeric views pre-defined by their
scope.

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HP Apps and App Views 11
One note is in order concerning the Plot view. The HP 39gII gives you three options for
graphing. By default, the HP 39gII uses the Adaptive method, an advanced method that
gives very accurate results.
You can choose the more traditional method, called Fixed-Step Segments, which samples x-
values, computes their corresponding y-values, and then plots and connects the points. Or
you can choose Fixed-Step Dots, which works like Fixed-Step Segments but does not connect
the points. This setting is found on Page 2 of the Plot Setup.
The figures to the right illustrate the differences among these methods for the function
f(x)=sin(ex). The top figure uses the Adaptive method; the middle one uses Fixed-Step
Segments, and the bottom one uses Fixed-Step Dots.

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HP Apps and App Views12
The next chapter summarizes the functionality of each of the 15 HP Apps and their views.

HP App Summaries 13
HP App Summaries 13
3HPAppSummaries
The following sections describe each HP App briefly, summarizing the App's major views and the functionality available in each view.
The Function App
The Function App lets you define up to ten functions in x, view their graphs, create tables of values, and find intersections, roots, and
extrema. The Function App is the default HP App when the HP 39gII is shipped from the factory. Table 4 summarizes the capabilities of
this App. Press Apps, scroll down to select the Function App, and press the START menu key to get started.
Table 4 Function App Summary
Summary of Functionality View Name and Display
Press Symb to return to this view at any time. This view allows you to enter and manage up
to ten function definitions in x. The menu items are:
•EDIT: opens an input box to edit the chosen definition
•CHK: toggles a function off or on for graphing and table-building
•X: a typing aid
•SHOW: displays the selected function in textbook format
•EVAL: resolves references when one function is defined in terms of another
Function Symbolic View

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HP App Summaries14
Press Plot to enter the Plot view and work with graphs of functions. The menu items are:
•ZOOM: enters the Zoom menu, with options to zoom in or out
•TRACE: toggles tracing cursor off and on
•GOTO: takes the tracing cursor to the point on the function with a given x-value
•FCN: opens the Function menu, with options to find:
•Root
•Intersection
•Extremum
•Slope
•Signedarea
•DEFN: displays the symbolic definition of the current function
•MENU: toggles the menu off and on
Function Plot View
Press SHIFT followed by Plot to enter the Plot Setup. This view helps you manually set up the
graphing window and the appearance of the graphs. The fields are:
•XRNG: the horizontal graphing range
•YRNG: the vertical graphing range
•XTICK: horizontal tick mark spacing
•YTICK: vertical tick mark spacing
The menu keys in this view are:
•EDIT: opens an input box to edit the chosen value
•CHK: toggles the current setting on or off
• : enters the second page of the view
Function Plot Setup Page 1
Table 4 Function App Summary
Summary of Functionality View Name and Display