Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus C User manual

Getting Started with the
TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition
Graphing Calculator
This guidebook applies to software version 4.0. To obtain the latest
version of the documentation, go to education.ti.com/go/download.

ii
Important Information
Except as otherwise expressly stated in the License that accompanies a
program, Texas Instruments makes no warranty, either express or
implied, including but not limited to any implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, regarding any
programs or book materials and makes such materials available solely on
an "as-is" basis. In no event shall Texas Instruments be liable to anyone
for special, collateral, incidental, or consequential damages in connection
with or arising out of the purchase or use of these materials, and the sole
and exclusive liability of Texas Instruments, regardless of the form of
action, shall not exceed the amount set forth in the license for the
program. Moreover, Texas Instruments shall not be liable for any claim of
any kind whatsoever against the use of these materials by any other
party.
© 2012 Texas Instruments Incorporated

Contents
iii
Important Information................................................................... ii
Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition.............1
Documentation Conventions......................................................... 1
Using the TI-84 Plus C in the Classroom ........................................ 1
Using Color on the TI-84 Plus C ..................................................... 1
TI-84 Plus C Keyboard..................................................................... 4
Turning On and Turning Off the TI-84 Plus C ............................... 7
Setting the Display Brightness....................................................... 8
The Home Screen............................................................................ 9
Setting Modes............................................................................... 16
Using the Clock............................................................................. 22
Equation Operating System (EOS™) ........................................... 23
Entering Expressions and Instructions......................................... 25
Pictures and Backgrounds............................................................ 29
Using Variable Names .................................................................. 30
Storing Variable Values ................................................................ 31
Recalling Variable Values ............................................................. 32
QuickPlot and Fit Equation.......................................................... 33
ENTRY (Last Entry) Storage Area................................................. 34
Menus............................................................................................ 36
VARS Menus.................................................................................. 39
Grouping files ............................................................................... 41
Special Features of the TI-84 Plus C............................................. 42
Other TI-84 Plus C Features.......................................................... 42
Interchangeable Faceplates ......................................................... 44
Battery Information ..................................................................... 45
Replacing TI Rechargeable Batteries........................................... 47
TI-84 Plus C Charging Station ...................................................... 49
Transferring the OS from calculator to calculator...................... 52
Error Conditions ........................................................................... 53
Linking Compatibility................................................................... 54
Texas Instruments Support and Service....................................... 57
Service and Warranty Information.............................................. 57

iv

Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition 1
Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver
Edition
Documentation Conventions
This Getting Started guide is similar to Chapter 1 of the TI-84 Plus C Silver
Edition guidebook. Several of the chapters in the full guidebook are
referenced in this Getting Started guide. The full guidebook is available
as a free download from education.ti.com/go/download.
In this document, the TI-84 Plus CSilver Edition graphing calculator is also
referred to as the TI-84 Plus C.
Using the TI-84 Plus C in the Classroom
The TI-84 Plus C shares many features with the TI-84 Plus. However, some
features you may be accustomed to using in the classroom may differ.
Some of these differences are listed here.
• TI-Navigator™ software supports the TI-84, TI-84 Plus, and TI-84 Plus
SE. TI-Navigator™ software does not support the TI-84 Plus C.
• TI-84 Plus C does not work with TI-Presenter™ video adapter or
ViewScreen™ overhead panel, but the TI-84 Plus C view option in the
TI-SmartView™ software allows you to project the graphing
calculator emulator to the classroom.
• Some files and variables are compatible between the TI-84 Plus C and
the TI-84 Plus family of graphing calculators. For more information
on file compatibility, see Linking Compatibility later in this chapter.
• The TI-84 Plus C graphing calculator comes equipped with a Li-ion
rechargeable battery. To ensure battery life, store the graphing
calculators in the TI-84 Plus C Charging Station, or connect individual
graphing calculators to a wall charger.
Warning: RAM memory will be lost if the battery charge is lost. You
should back up or archive your variables if your battery power gets
low.
For more information on the batteries and the charging station, see
Battery Information and TI-84 Plus C Charging Station later in this
chapter.
Using Color on the TI-84 Plus C
The TI-84 Plus C graphing calculator has many color options and a high
resolution display that allows more information to be shown on the
screen. The TI-84 Plus C uses color in the following ways:

2 Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition
• Y= editor for line color.
• DRAW commands for line color, such as vertical lines, circles, and text
on the graph screen.
• The graph format screen for grid, axes, or border color, and applying
a background image or color.
• Statistical Plots.
The color options are selected using a spinner, which can contain various
options depending on the feature. Press |and ~to scroll through the
color options to set a color.
Note: Take care to choose appropriate color combinations for the graph
areas so that all features are visible.
You can reset the calculator to its default settings, including color
settings, by pressing y L 7 2 2.
Using Color on the Graph Screen
The examples below show how to set line color on the Y= editor using
the spinner, and how to set a Background Image for a graph.
Enter an equation in the Y=
editor.
1. Press o.
2. Press k„ ¡ Ã 6.

Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition 3
To set the line color in the Y=
editor:
3. Press y||| to select
the color/line box to the left
of Y=, and then press Í.
The spinner dialog box
becomes active.
4. Press ~ ~ ~to select
magenta.
5. Press †.
Note: The thick line style is
the default. It can be
changed by pressing | or
~.
6. Press †to highlight OK and
then press Í.
To set a Background Image:
7. Press y..
Set grid color, axes, and
border color as desired.
8. Press }or † as necessary to
highlight Background.
The spinner dialog box
becomes active.
9. Press ~ as necessary to select
the desired Background
Image or color.
Note: Your pre-loaded
Image Var may be different
than the one displayed.
Note: To create Background
Image Vars, use the free
TI Connect™ software to
convert and send images to
your TI-84 Plus C graphing
calculator.

4 Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition
TI-84 Plus C Keyboard
Generally, the keyboard is divided into these zones: graphing keys,
editing keys, advanced function keys, and scientific calculator keys.
Keyboard Zones
Graphing—Graphing keys access the interactive graphing features. The
third function of these keys (t ^-a) displays the shortcut menus,
which include templates for fractions, n/d, quick matrix entry, and some
of the functions found on the MATH and VARS menus. When some
features are active, you may also see a shortcut menu in the tb
location for special shortcuts available in that particular feature.
Editing—Editing keys allow you to edit expressions and values.
Advanced—Advanced function keys display menus that access the
advanced functions.
Scientific—Scientific calculator keys access the capabilities of a standard
scientific calculator.
10. Press rto see the graph
and trace points.
Note: You can manipulate the
graph to “fit” an object in the
Background Image Var. You can
also use QuickPlot and Fit
Equation to fit an equation to a
shape. (See QuickPlot later in
this chapter.)

Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition 5
TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition
Using the Color.Coded Keyboard
The keys on the TI-84 Plus C are color-coded to help you easily locate the
key you need.
The light colored keys are the number keys. The keys along the right side of
the keyboard are the common math functions. The keys across the top set
up and display graphs. The Œkey provides access to applications such as
Polynomial Root Finder and Simultaneous Equation Solver, Inequality
Graphing, and more.
Note: Catalog Help is an application on the TI-84 Plus, but is built into
the TI-84 Plus C operating system. The Catalog Help contains syntax
information for most menu items, and most of the functions in the
catalog. To use Catalog Help on the TI-Plus C, select a menu item and
then press Ã.
The primary function of each key is printed on the keys. For example,
when you press , the MATH menu is displayed.
TI-84 Plus CSilver Edition
Graphing Keys
Editing Keys
Advanced
Function Keys
Scientific
Calculator Keys

6 Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition
Using the yand ƒKeys
The secondary function of each key is printed above the key in the same
color as the ykey. When you press the ykey, the character,
abbreviation, or word printed above the other keys becomes active for
the next keystroke. For example, when you press yand then , the
TEST menu is displayed. This guidebook describes this keystroke
combination as y :.
The flashing cursor changes to Þwhen you press y. The Þ may show in
the cursor location, or in the status bar on the top of the screen.
Many keys also have a third function. These functions are printed above
the keys in the same color as the ƒkey. The third functions enter
alphabetic characters and special symbols, as well as access SOLVE and
shortcut menus. For example, when you press ƒand then , the
letter Ais entered. This guidebook describes this keystroke combination
as ƒ[A].
If you want to enter several alphabetic characters in a row, you can press
y 7 to lock the alpha key in the On position and avoid having to
press ƒmultiple times. Press ƒa second time to unlock it.
The flashing cursor changes to Øwhen you press ƒ, even if you are
accessing a function or a menu. The Ømay show in the cursor location, or
in the status bar on the top of the screen.
2nd key indicator on the status bar
Alpha key indicator on the status bar

Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition 7
Turning On and Turning Off the TI-84 Plus C
Turning On the Graphing Calculator
To turn on the TI-84 Plus C, press É. An information screen displays
reminding you that you can press t ^ - a to display the shortcut
menus, and press Ãfor Catalog Help. This message also displays when
you reset RAM. When some features are active, you may also see a
shortcut menu in the tblocation for special shortcuts available in
that particular feature.
To continue but not see this information screen again, press 1.
To continue and see this information screen again the next time you
turn on the TI-84 Plus C, press 2.
• If you previously had turned off the graphing calculator by pressing
y M, the TI-84 Plus C displays the home screen as it was when you
last used it and clears any error. (The information screen displays
first, unless you chose not to see it again.) If the home screen is
blank, press }to scroll through the history of previous calculations.
TI-84 Plus CSilver Edition
y
Accesses the
second function
printed above
each key.
ƒ
Accesses the
third function
printed above
each key.
ƒ ^ - a
Access shortcut
menus for
functionality
including templates
for fractions, n/d,
and other functions.

8 Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition
• If Automatic Power Down™ (APD™) had previously turned off the
graphing calculator, the TI-84 Plus C will return exactly as you left it,
including the display, cursor, and any error.
• If the TI-84 Plus C is turned off and connected to another graphing
calculator or personal computer, any communication activity will
“wake up” the TI-84 Plus C.
To prolong the life of the battery, APD™ turns off the TI-84 Plus C
automatically after about five minutes without any activity.
Turning Off the Graphing Calculator
To turn off the TI-84 Plus C manually, press y M.
• All settings and memory contents are retained by the Constant
Memory™ function.
• Any error condition is cleared.
Setting the Display Brightness
Adjusting the Display Brightness
You can adjust the display brightness to suit your viewing angle and
lighting conditions.
To adjust the contrast, follow these steps.
Press y † to darken the screen one level at a time.
Press y } to lighten the screen one level at a time.
The TI-84 Plus C retains the brightness setting in memory when it is
turnedoff.
Automatic Dimming
The TI-84 Plus C has an automatic dimming feature. To help prolong
battery life, the screen dims after 90 seconds of no activity. Press Éto
return the screen to the preset brightness setting. Pressing É does not
affect any calculations, cursors, or error messages.

Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition 9
The Home Screen
The home screen is the primary screen of the TI-84 Plus C. On this screen,
enter instructions to execute and expressions to evaluate. The answers
are displayed on the same screen. Most calculations are stored in the
history on the home screen. You can press } and † to scroll through the
history of entries on the home screen and you can paste the entries or
answers to the current entry line.
Press y 5 from any screen to go to the home screen.
Enter a calculation.
1. Press y 5 to return to
the home screen, if needed.
2. Press yC3¡ Ã 4¡ ~
à 6 Í.
Note: When you are in a
MathPrint™ template, the cursor
turns to a right arrow to
indicate that you must press ~
to get out of the template
before you continue entering
the calculation.

10 Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition
Displaying Entries and Answers
• When text is displayed, the TI-84 Plus C screen can display a
maximum of 10 lines with a maximum of 26 characters per line in
Classic mode. In MathPrint™ mode, fewer lines and fewer characters
per line may be displayed, depending on the MathPrint™ template
used.
• A dotted line separates each set of entries and answers.
• If an expression on the home screen, the Y= editor (Chapter 3 in the
guidebook), or the program editor (Chapter 16 in the guidebook) is
longer than one line, it wraps to the beginning of the next line in
Classic mode. In MathPrint™ mode, an expression on the home
screen or Y= editor that is longer than one line scrolls off the screen
to the right. An arrow on the right side of the screen indicates that
you can scroll right to see more of the expression. In numeric editors
such as the window screen (Chapter 3), a long expression scrolls to
the right and left in both Classic and MathPrint™ modes.
Tip: Press y ~ to move the cursor to the end of the line. Press y |
to move the cursor to the beginning of the line.
• When an entry is executed on the home screen, the answer is
displayed on the right side of the next line.
• The mode settings control the way the TI-84 Plus C interprets
expressions and displays answers.
• Press zto switch between Classic and MathPrint™ modes and see
expressions in both formats. The Classic and MathPrint™ modes are
on the top line of the mode screen.
• If an answer, such as a list or matrix, is too long to display entirely on
one line, an arrow (MathPrint™) or an ellipsis (Classic) is displayed to
the right or left. Press ~and |to display the answer.
MathPrint™ (default)
Entry
Answer
Entry
Answer

Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition 11
Scrolling Through Previous Entries on the Home Screen
If all lines of the display are full, text scrolls off the top of the display.
You can scroll up through previous entries and answers on the home
screen, even if you have cleared the screen. When you find an entry or
answer that you want to use, you can select it and paste it (press Í)
on the current entry line.
Note: List and matrix answers cannot be copied and pasted to the new
entry line. However, you can copy the list or matrix command to the new
entry line and execute the command again to display the answer.
Press } or †to move the cursor to the entry or answer you want to
copy and then press Í.
The TI-84 Plus C highlights the entry the cursor is on to help you
select your desired choice.
The entry or answer that you copied is automatically pasted on the
current input line at the cursor location.
Note: If the cursor is in a MathPrint™ expression, press t } to
move the cursor out of the expression and then move the cursor to
the entry or answer you want to copy.
Press u or { to delete an entry/answer pair. After an
entry/answer pair has been deleted, it cannot be displayed or
recalled again.
Note: For more information on using previous entries, see ENTRY (Last
Entry) Storage Area later in this chapter.
Classic
Entry
Answer
Entry
Answer

12 Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition
Returning to the Home Screen
To return to the home screen from any other screen, press y 5.
Status Bar
The status bar displays on all screens, and gives information about the
selected calculator mode settings, any context help available for the item
you currently have selected, and battery status. The status bar may also
show a busy indicator if the calculator is performing an operation, Øto
indicate the calculator is in alpha status, and Þto indicate the secondary
function is active.
Selected mode settings are displayed on the top line of the status bar
when the cursor is in the active entry area. Mode settings do not display
when the cursor is in the home screen history, since the mode may have
been different for previous calculations.
Context help, if available, is displayed on the second line. The battery
status icon, busy indicator, alpha indicator, and second key indicator are
on the right. When you scroll into the home screen history, the context
help on the status bar displays HISTORY.
In the example below, the cursor is on the GridColor option. The context
help for GridColor is on the second line of the status bar.
Selected
MODE
settings.
Context help
for current
cursor
position.
Battery icon.
This area of the
status bar also
displays the busy
indicator, alpha
indicator, and
second key indicator,
depending on the
state of the
graphing calculator.

Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition 13
Using Shortcut Menus
Shortcut menus allow quick access to the following:
• Templates to enter fractions, and to toggle between whole and
mixed fractions, and fractions and decimals.
• Selected functions from the MATH MATH and MATH NUM menus as
you would see them in a textbook, when in MathPrint™ mode.
Functions include absolute value, numeric differentiation, numeric
integration, summation, log base n, square root, permutations,
combinations, and factorials.
• Quick MathPrint™ matrix entry, when available.
• Names of function variables from the VARS Y-VARS menu.
To open a shortcut menu, press tplus the F-key that corresponds to
the menu, that is, ^for FRAC, _for FUNC, `for MTRX, afor YVAR,
or bfor special menus within interactive graph activities such as DRAW
or QuickPlot and Fit Equation, and more. To select a menu item, either
press the number corresponding to the item, or use the arrow keys to
move the cursor to the appropriate line and then press Í.
TI-84 Plus CSilver Edition
t^
Opens FRAC
menu.
t_
Opens FUNC
menu.
ta
Opens YVAR
menu.
tb
Opens special
menus.
ta
t`
Opens MTRX
menu.

14 Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition
All shortcut menu items except matrix templates can also be selected
using standard menus. For example, you can choose the summation
template from three places:
The shortcut menus are available to use where input is allowed. If the
calculator is in Classic mode, or if a screen is displayed that does not
support MathPrint™ display, entries will be displayed in Classic display.
The MTRX menu is only available in MathPrint™ mode on the home
screen and in the Y= editor.
Note: Shortcut menus may not be available if tplus F-key
combinations are used by an application that is running.
Busy Indicator
FUNC shortcut menu
MATH MATH menu
Catalog

Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition 15
Display Cursors
In most cases, the appearance of the cursor indicates what will happen
when you press the next key or select the next menu item to be pasted as
a character.
Note: The second cursor and alpha cursor may appear on the status bar,
depending on the context.
If you press ƒduring an insertion, the cursor becomes an underlined
A (A). If you press yduring an insertion, the underlined cursors becomes
an underlined #(#).
Cursor Appearance Effect of Next Keystroke
Entry Solid rectangle
$
A character is entered at the
cursor; any existing
character is overwritten.
Insert Underline
__
A character is inserted in
front of the cursor location.
Second Reverse arrow
Þ
A 2nd character is entered
or a 2nd operation is
executed.
Alpha Reverse A
Ø
An alpha character is
entered, SOLVE is executed,
or shortcut menus are
displayed.
Full Checkerboard rectangle
#
No entry; the maximum
characters are entered at a
prompt or memory is full.
Also indicates the limit of
the allowed MathPrint™
mode levels.
MathPrint™ Right arrow The cursor moves to either
the next part of the
template or out of the
template. Press the right
arrow to move out of all
MathPrint™ templates
before entering the
remaining terms in an
expression.

16 Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus C Silver Edition
Note: If you highlight a small character such as a colon or a comma and
then press ƒor y, the cursor does not change because the cursor
width is too narrow.
Graphs and editors sometimes display additional cursors, which are
described in the guidebook.
Setting Modes
Checking Mode Settings
Mode settings control how the TI-84 Plus C displays and interprets
numbers and graphs. Mode settings are retained by the Constant
Memory™ feature when the TI-84 Plus C is turned off. All numbers,
including elements of matrices and lists, are displayed according to the
current mode settings.
To display the mode settings, press z. The current settings are
highlighted. Defaults are highlighted below. The following pages
describe the mode settings in detail.
Note: When you press z, the cursor is on NORMAL by default. Press }
to switch between the MathPrint™ and Classic modes.
MATHPRINT CLASSIC Controls whether inputs and
outputs on the home screen and
in the Y= editor are displayed as
they are in textbooks
NORMAL SCI ENG Numeric notation
FLOAT 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Number of decimal places in
answers
RADIAN DEGREE Unit of angle measure
FUNCTION PARAMETRIC POLAR SEQ Type of graphing
THCK DOT-THICK THIN DOT-THIN Resets all Y= line styles
SEQUENTIAL SIMUL Whether to plot sequentially or
simultaneously
REAL a+bi re^qiReal, rectangular complex, or
polar complex
FULL HORIZONTAL GRAPH-TABLE Full screen, two split-screen modes
FRACTION TYPE: n/d Un/d Displays results as simple fractions
or mixed fractions
ANSWERS: AUTO DEC FRAC-APPROX Controls the format of the
answers