Texas Instruments TI-83 - Plus Graphing Calculator Quick start guide

©2007 Key Curriculum Press Discovering Algebra Calculator Notes for the Texas Instruments TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus 7
CHAPTER 1 Calculator Notes for the TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus
Note 1A • Setting the Mode
Press to display a screen like that shown here. The settings highlighted are
the ones that you will use most often in this course. If your calculator does not
display these settings, follow the steps below to change them.
1. Use the arrow keys to highlight the setting you want to choose.
2. Press to register your selection.
3. When you have selected the settings you want, press [QUIT] to exit
from the mode screen.
In this class you will need to change some of these settings during the year. The
comments below may not mean much to you now, but your textbook will refer
you back to this note several times during the course.
a. NORMAL and SCIentific refer to the way in which numbers are
displayed. Both modes are used in the chapter on exponents. Usually
this setting should be on NORMAL mode.
b. FLOAT and 0 1 2... refer to other ways in which numbers are displayed.
FLOAT mode is useful in hiding long decimal answers and will make
some numbers clearer. It is best to leave this setting on FLOAT,except
in applications such as money, where only two decimal places make
more sense. Remember to change this setting back to FLOAT when you
are done.
c. In this course you will use only the DEGREE mode. This setting is not
important until you reach Chapter 11.
d. FUNCtion and PARametric are two different types of graphing modes.
Most of the work in this course will be in FUNC mode.
e. SEQUENTIAL and SIMULtaneous tell the calculator to graph the
equations one at a time, or to graph all the equations simultaneously.
f. Usually you’ll want your screen set to FULL. Occasionally, after you have
been working with a program, you may find that you are left with a
split screen. If this happens, be sure to change this setting back to FULL.
The remaining settings in the mode screen are not important in this course. If
you find that your screen looks very strange when you try to do something, it’s
a good idea to look at the mode screen and check to see if any settings have
been changed.
2nd
ENTER
MODE
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8Discovering Algebra Calculator Notes for the Texas Instruments TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus ©2007 Key Curriculum Press
TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus
Note 1B • Entering Lists
There are six pre-set lists in the calculator: lists L1through L6.You can create
other named lists if needed. You can enter 999 elements into a list if enough
memory is available.
Clearing Data
If a list already has data in it, move the cursor up so that the list name is
highlighted and press .
Entering Data Directly into a List
Follow the steps below to enter data (such as 400, 455, 390, 450, 360, 320,
480, 480) into a list.
a. Press (Edit...).
b. Enter each number into list L1.Ifyou do not see list L1,see the sections
Resetting a List or Recalling a List that follow. After entering each data
value, press . When you are finished entering the data, press
[QUIT].Ifyou wish to add a data value in the middle of the list, move
the cursor to the place of insertion, press [INS],and then enter the
number. To remove an entry from a list, highlight the entry and
press .
Entering Data into a List from the Home Screen
If you are working with a short list, you may want to enter it from the
Home screen. To enter the data 1, 2, 3, 4 into list L1from the Home screen
press [{] [}] [L1].
ENTER
2nd
STO
Í
2nd4,3,2,1
2nd
DEL
2nd
2ndENTER
1STAT
ENTERCLEAR
(continued)
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You can also enter a list into the Home screen without storing it in a stat list.
Naming a List
If you name a list, then you can save it for later use. To name a list, highlight the
name of any list, for example L1,L2,and so on, and press [INS].Anew list
will appear to the left of the list you highlighted. Enter a name for the list, for
example, YEAR.(The flashing Atells you that you are in Alpha mode, so unless
you want to enter a number as part of the name, you can just enter the list
name.) Press and you will see that the list now has a name.
Resetting a List
To reset the calculator so that only lists L1through L6are displayed, press
and select 5:SetUpEditor.This action will not delete a named list from the
calculator’s memory and you will still be able to recall a named list with its
stored data.
Deleting and Archiving a List on the TI-83 Plus or TI-84 Plus
To delete a list, press [MEM],select 2:Mem Mgnt/Del...,and then 4:List..., arrow to
the list you want to delete, and press .You can delete a pre-set list or a named
list. If you delete a list, you lose the data in the list. To avoid losing the data,instead
of pressing , you can press to mark the list with an asterisk. This is called
archiving and will temporarily disable the list(s) you mark.An archived list will
not appear on the screen when you press (Edit...).Bypressing [LIST] you
can see that each archived list is preceded by an asterisk.An archived list retains
its data but cannot be used until it is enabled. To enable an archived list, press
[MEM] (MemMgnt/Del...)(List...),arrow to the list you want to enable,and
press .The asterisk disappears. Press [QUIT] to return to the Home screen.
2ndENTER
422nd
2nd1STAT
ENTER
DEL
DEL
2nd
STAT
ENTER
2nd
©2007 Key Curriculum Press Discovering Algebra Calculator Notes for the Texas Instruments TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus 9
Note 1B • Entering Lists (continued) TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus
(continued)
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10 Discovering Algebra Calculator Notes for the Texas Instruments TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus ©2007 Key Curriculum Press
Note 1B • Entering Lists (continued) TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus
Deleting a List on the TI-83
To delete a list, press [MEM],select 2:Delete...,and then 4:List...,arrowto the
list you want to delete, and press . You can delete a pre-set list or a named
list. If you delete a list, you lose the data in the list. Press [QUIT] to return to
the Home screen.
Recalling a List
Press (Edit...) to display the current lists. Next, create a blank, nameless
list by highlighting a list name and pressing [INS].You now have a blank,
nameless list ready to be named. To recall one of the pre-set lists (lists L1through
L6) that you previously deleted, press [L1]or [L2]and so on, and .
The name is back, but not the data. (You can recall all deleted pre-set list names
by using the Resetting a List procedure.) To recall a previously named list that
was hidden from view by Resetting a List, press [LIST],arrowdown to the
list you want to recall, and press . The list name and data reappear.
On the TI-83 Plus or TI-84 Plus, to recall a list that is archived, you must enable
the list first and then recall it. Using the Resetting a List procedure will enable
lists L1through L6whether they are archived or not.
Moving a List
To move a list, begin by highlighting the name of an empty list. Press [LIST],
arrow down to the name of the list you want to move, and press .
The list data appears. You can now delete or overwrite the data in the original
list, and the data will remain in the new list.
ENTERENTER
2nd
ENTERENTER
2nd
ENTER2nd2nd
2nd
1STAT
2nd
ENTER
2nd
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©2007 Key Curriculum Press Discovering Algebra Calculator Notes for the Texas Instruments TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus 11
TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus
(continued)
Note 1C • Median and Mean
Enter the data into a list, and return to the Home screen by pressing [QUIT].
(See Note 1B if you don’t remember how to enter data into a list. The screen
here uses the same data as the first list entered in Note 1B.)
a. Press [LIST] and arrow over to MATH.
b. Choose 4:Median( or 3:Mean(.
c. Press [L1](or whichever list contains the data) and close
the parentheses.
d. Press to find the value.
You can also calculate all the statistical values of a data set at once, including
the median, mean, and the five summary values.
a. Press and arrow over to CALC.
b. Choose 1:1–Var Stats.
c. Press [L1](or whichever list contains the data).
d. Press .
ENTER
2nd
STAT
ENTER
2nd
2nd
2nd
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12 Discovering Algebra Calculator Notes for the Texas Instruments TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus ©2007 Key Curriculum Press
Note 1C • Median and Mean (continued) TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus
(continued)
Use the down arrow to display the entire list of values.
x

416.875 the mean
x3335 the sum of the x-values
x21414425 the sum of the squares of the x-values
Sx58.73290025 the sample standard deviation
x54.93959751 the population standard deviation
n8the number of data values
minX 320 the minimum data value
Q1 375 the first quartile
Med 425 the median
Q3 467.5 the third quartile
maxX 480 the maximum data value
Errors
If you select 1–Var Stats and forget to enter the list name, the calculator default
will be list L1.Ifyou get ERR:INVALID DIM,you have selected a blank list.
Note 1D • Box Plots
Entering the Data
Enter the data set into a list. List L1is used for this example. (See Note 1B if you
need help entering data.)
Setting the WINDOW Values
Press and enter the following values into the WINDOW screen.
Xmin a number slightly less than the minimum of the data.
Xmax a number slightly greater than the maximum of the data.
Xscl the distance between tick marks. Although this number is not
critical to graphing a box plot, if it’s too small, the tick marks will
make the x-axis appear too thick.
Ymin 0.
Ymax 10. This number is not important for a box plot. Any number
greater than Ymin will work.
Yscl 0. This number does not affect a box plot.
Xres 1. This number does not affect a box plot.
WINDOW
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©2007 Key Curriculum Press Discovering Algebra Calculator Notes for the Texas Instruments TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus 13
Note 1D • Box Plots (continued) TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus
(continued)
Displaying the Box Plot
This example uses the data in list L1,but you can choose any list.
a. Clear or turn off any equations in the Yscreen. (Press . Place the
cursor anywhere in an equation and press to delete the equation.
Or, move the cursor over the highlighted equal sign of any equation
you don’t want to delete, and press to turn off the equation.)
b. Press [STAT PLOT] (Plot1...).(You can choose any of the three
stat plots.)
c. Select On, Box Plot,L1,1.(To select list L1press [L1].)
Note that there are two types of box plots available. The first type will
not connect outliers to the rest of the plot. The second type will. If you
choose the first type, you will also have to indicate the mark you want
to use for any outlying points.
d. Press .
Tracing on a Box Plot
Press . The trace option allows you to see the five number summary
values for the box plot by pressing the left and right arrows. If you press the up
and down arrows, you move from one box plot to another. (See the Graphing
More Than One Box Plot section that follows.) Look in the upper-left corner
of the calculator screen to see which plot the calculator is tracing. The trace
option always starts with the stat plots and then moves to equations on the
Yscreen (if any are turned on), even if you can’t see them in the current
window. Be sure to turn off any plots and any equations you do not want to
see or trace.
Graphing More Than One Box Plot
The calculator can graph up to three box plots at the same time. Follow the
directions for making a box plot and set up Plot2,Plot3,or both. Be sure the list
in which you’ve entered the data matches the list you select when setting up
each box plot.
Errors
If you don’t see a graph, then check the Xmin and Xmax values to make sure
that your data lies between them. If you get ERR:INVALID DIM when you try to
TRACE
GRAPH
2nd
12nd
ENTER
CLEAR
Y
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14 Discovering Algebra Calculator Notes for the Texas Instruments TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus ©2007 Key Curriculum Press
Note 1D • Box Plots (continued) TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus
graph, you have selected a blank list. If you get ERR:WINDOW RANGE,you have
probably assigned an Xmax value that is less than the Xmin value or a Ymax
value that is less than the Ymin value.
Clean-up
When you are finished graphing box plots, you might want to turn off
all the plots so that they don’t interfere with other graphing screens.
Press [STAT PLOT] (PlotsOff) , or press , arrow to any plot
that is highlighted, and press .
Note 1E • Histograms
Entering the Data
Enter the data into a list. List L1is used for this example. (See Note 1B if you
need help entering the data.)
Setting the WINDOW Values
Press and enter the following values into the WINDOW screen.
Xmin a number equal to or slightly less than the minimum of the data.
Xmax a number greater than the maximum of the data.
Xscl the width of each bar. Use an integer value that is approximately
equal to

Xmax 
8Xmin

.
Ymin 2. Using a negative value for Ymin allows you to trace on the
graph without the trace values interfering with the graph itself.
Ymax the height of the tallest bar. Make an intelligent guess. You may have
to revise this value when you look at the graph. Tracing on the
graph can help you determine the maximum bar height.
Yscl the distance between tick marks on the y-axis. The number you
choose will depend on the Ymax value. You don’t want tick marks
that are too close together, or the y-axis will appear too thick.
Xres 1. This number does not affect a histogram.
The Xscl value determines the width of the histogram bars. You may need to
extend the range one bar-width beyond what you think it should be by
increasing the Xmax value. You may want to create a histogram with as few as
five or as many as ten bars. Experiment with different values for Xscl to see
what effect each has on the graph.
WINDOW
ENTER
Y
ENTER
4
2nd
(continued)
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©2007 Key Curriculum Press Discovering Algebra Calculator Notes for the Texas Instruments TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus 15
Note 1E • Histograms (continued) TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus
Displaying the Histogram
This example assumes the data is in list L1,but you can choose any list.
a. Clear or turn off any equations in the Yscreen. (Press . Place the
cursor anywhere in an equation and press to delete the equation.
Or, move the cursor over the highlighted equal sign of any equation
you don’t want to delete, and press to turn off the equation.)
b. Press [STAT PLOT] (Plot1...). (You can choose any of the three
stat plots.)
c. Select On, Histogram,L1,1.(To select list L1press [L1].)
d. Press .
Tracing on a Histogram
Press . The trace option always starts with the stat plots and then moves
to equations in the Yscreen (if any are turned on), even if you can’t see them
in the current window. Be sure to turn off any plots and any equations you do
not want to see or trace.
Errors
You will get ERR:STAT if you try to create a histogram with more than
47 intervals (bars). Make the Xscl value larger to correct this error. You may
also get an error message if you haven’t turned off a plot you’re not interested
in seeing or you have changed the data or the window settings.
Clean-up
When you are finished graphing histograms, you might want to turn off all
the plots so that they don’t interfere with other graphing screens. Press
[STAT PLOT] (PlotsOff) , or press , arrow to any plot that is
highlighted, and press .
Note 1F • Scatter Plots
Entering the Data
Enter the x-coordinates (horizontal axis) into one list and the y-coordinates
(vertical axis) into another list. List L1and list L2are used for this example.
(See Note 1B if you need help entering the data.)
ENTER
Y
ENTER4
2nd
TRACE
GRAPH
2nd
12nd
ENTER
CLEAR
Y
(continued)
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16 Discovering Algebra Calculator Notes for the Texas Instruments TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus ©2007 Key Curriculum Press
Note 1F • Scatter Plots (continued) TI-83 and TI-83/84 Plus
(continued)
Setting the WINDOW Values
Press and enter the following values into the WINDOW screen.
Xmin a number less than the minimum value in the list of x-coordinates.
Xmax a number greater than the maximum value in the list of
x-coordinates.
Xscl the distance between tick marks. You can use 0 (no tick marks) or a
value usually less than or equal to

Xmax1 
0Xmin

.Ifyour Xscl value is
too small, the x-axis will appear too thick.
Ymin a number less than the minimum value in the list of y-coordinates.
Ymax a number greater than the maximum value in the list of
y-coordinates.
Yscl the distance between tick marks. You can use 0 (no tick marks) or a
value usually less than or equal to

Ymax1 
0Ymin

.Ifyour Yscl value is
too small, the y-axis will appear too thick.
Xres 1. This number does not affect a scatter plot.
Displaying the Scatter Plot
a. Clear or turn off any equations in the Yscreen. (Press . Place the
cursor anywhere in an equation and press to delete the equation.
Or, move the cursor over the highlighted equal sign of any equation
you don’t want to delete, and press to turn off the equation.)
b. Press [STAT PLOT] (Plot1...). (You can choose any of the three
stat plots.)
c. Select On,ScatterPlot,L1for Xlist (if your x-coordinates are in list L1);
L2for Ylist (if your y-coordinates are in list L2), and choose a mark type
to indicate the data points.
d. Press .
Tracing on a Scatter Plot
Press . The trace option always starts with the stat plots and then moves
to equations in the Yscreen (if any are turned on), even if you can’t see them
in the current window. Be sure to turn off any plots and any equations you do
not want to see or trace.
TRACE
GRAPH
12nd
ENTER
CLEAR
Y
WINDOW
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