TI-84 Skills for the IB Maths SL

Dr. William Larson, International School of Geneva

If you have not already done so, The TI does not always give the
upgrade to OS 2.55MP and exact value, for example X Zeros (solutions of equations)
PlySmlt2. = 5.673546567E-12 as an
output is an attempt by the
Sending and receiving an APP or TI to report “X = 0”; note the
2nd CALC
program E-12 at the end.
2: zero
To receive
Left Bound
LINK (2nd X,T,θ,n) Dimension error usually
RECEIVE 1: comes from having a
Receive ENTER STATPLOT on. Go to Y=.
If a Plot is highlighted, un-
To send highlight it with ENTER.
LINK (2nd X,T;θ,n) If all else fails, MEM (2nd
SEND C:Apps ENTER) 5 : Reset 2 :
CtlgHelp Defaults 2 : Reset always ENTER
ENTER (this works. Right Bound
selects the APP) Err: WINDOW RANGE means
TRANSMIT you set X (or Y) min bigger
1: Transmit ENTER than max
To reuse a previous entry scroll
up, press ENTER Intersections of 2 curves
(solutions of equations)
To get to the start or end of a long ENTER, ENTER
expression or list, for example in
Y=, key 2nd ◄ or ► as needed.
Zoom Trig
F1 the fraction template

Maxima & Minima

2nd CALC
Select . Type your 2nd CALC 2: zero
formula into it. 5: intersect Left Bound
ENTER, ENTER, ENTER, ENTER
The template eliminates the Right Bound
need for puzzling out ENTER
brackets in complicated
fractions.
Examples

To store results from intersection

or maximum, etc. Numerical derivative
To convert a decimal to a Keying [ENTER] will store ALPHA F2 3:nDeriv(
fraction the X and Y values of that
0.375 MATH 1: Frac gives 3/8. point stored in variables X
and Y respectively. Recall
To simplify fractions the x value with the X,T,θ,n
1371/3656 MATH 1: Frac gives button or with ALPHA X,
3/8. Recall the y value with
ALPHA Y.
1
 Inverse matrix with A-1

An analytical derivative (e.g.

f'(x) = 2x in this example), The integral is 8.67
cannot be found with the TI-
84. Use TABLE to solve
$5000 is invested at 6.3%. The value
Find the tangent line of the investment will exceed $10
Put x² in Y= 000 after n full years. Calculate the
The inverse is
In GRAPH minimum value of n.
2nd Draw5:Tangent Put the equation in Y=
X= 2
scroll to Y > 10000
Solve a matrix equation
using X = A-1B

The tangent line is y = 4x–4

So n = 12
Definite integral
3
Matrix
 1
x 2 dx
Create a matrix
2nd CALC 2nd MATRIX
7:∫f(x)dx Edit
Lower Bound

So x = 4, y = 1, z = -6

Type it in
Graphing the Inverse
with DrawInv
Put a graph in Y1
Zoom 5: ZSquare
Find determinant with detA
2nd MATRIX

Key 2nd DRAW

Key 8:DrawInv( Y1

ENTER
2nd MATRIX

The integral is 8.67 The TI-84 does not care if

Or f(x) passes the HLT

Evaluate logs
3 = 2x
x = log23
Det A = 5 ALPHA F2: 5: logBASE

2
 Useless, but allowed
CtlgHelp – Catalogue Help
Various language APPS
CBL/CBR

All other APPS should be deleted

using
MEM (2ND +) 2:Mem NEXT
Mgmt/Del A:APPS
Binomial coefficients
MATH PRB 3:nCr

SOLVE

5 The only real solution is x =

 = -1
 3
Simultaneous Equation
5 Solver
So   = 10 The Simultaneous Equation
 3 Solver can solve up to 10
unknowns and 10 equations
The V.A. of logs is not visible simultaneously.
(but it is there!) Solve 2x + 3y = 5
and 3x + 5y = 7

Put the cursor in front of the

APP to be deleted and
pressing DEL.

F4 accesses the Y1, etc. variables
Applications
They are accessed by pressing the
APPS button.
The TI-84/TI-83 applications
(APPS) allowed by the IB are:
PlySmlt2 – The Polynomial Root
Finder and Simultaneous
Equation Solver
Finance
NEXT
Type it in
Plysmlt2 (Polynomial Root
Finder and Simultaneous
Equation Solver Version 2.0) has
two programs
1: Polynomial Root Finder
2: Simultaneous Equation
SOLVE
Solver
Polynomial Root Finder
The Polynomial Root Finder x = 4 and y = -1
can find the roots (i.e. zeros,
solutions) for any Do not use TRACE &
polynomial with real
coefficients up to degree 10. ZOOM
Solve 3x³ – 2x + 1 = 0 Do not use TRACE &/or
ZOOM to find the
intersections and
3
 intercepts. TRACE skips ENTER, ENTER, ENTER,
from one pixel element to
the next. If the x-value of a
pixel element happens to be d = 15.1
exactly the x-value of an invNorm
intercept or intersection, you Type your values into L1. Given μ= μ, σ = 3 find d
will get the right answer. If you have frequencies, type them such that 20% less
Otherwise the closest pixel into L2. than 10, find μ
element will almost certainly (The example below does not use 2nd DISTR 3:invNorm
not be correct to 3 significant the above numbers.)
figures. ZOOM will allow
you to zoom in on an
intercept or intersection.
Eventually you will zoom in ENTER
enough that TRACE will
give enough significant
figures, but this is very 10  
clumsy and time consuming Go to STAT CALC 1-Var Stats 0.84162 
ENTER 3
compared to using CALC
10  
Putting a list in the STAT If you just have values in L1 type 1- Solve 0.84162  
Var Stats L1 3
list editor If you have values in L1 and μ =7.48
Type a list into L1 using frequencies in L2 x
STAT EDIT 1:Edit. [z  is in Info booklet]
Type 1-Var Stats L1, L2 
Clearing the contents of a list Use 1-Var Stats for mean & SD,
Move the cursor up to the but NOT for Median, Q1 &
name of the list, e.g. L1, and Q3.
key CLEAR. (Do not key
DEL. DEL deletes the list
entirely, including the name, binomPDF, binomCDF
i.e. “L1” itself disappears.) The mean is x If n = 6, p = .75, find P(x = 6).
Recreating a list The standard deviation is σx. Key 2nd DISTR DISTR
If you have accidentally A:binompdf
deleted a list (not just the
contents, but the name
normalcdf(
Given μ= 20, σ = 3 find
itself), for example L1, and
Prob(19≤x≤23)
want it back key STAT
2nd DISTR 2: normalcdf(
5:SetUpEditor ENTER.
[normalPdf( is not
needed ever]
Mean and Standard
ENTER key the values into the
Deviation template
The number of bottles of water
sold at a railway station on
each day is given in the
following table. ENTER, ENTER, ENTER,
Day 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Temperature
21 20.7 20 19 18 17.3 17 17.3 18 19 20 20.7 21
(T)

Number of
ENTER, ENTER, ENTER gives
bottles sold 150 141 126 125 98 101 93 99 116 121 119 134 141
(n)

(a) Write down

invNorm
(i) the mean Given μ= 20, σ = 3 find d
such that 5% less B: binomcdf works the same
temperature;
(ii) the standard than d, find d way
deviation of the 2nd DISTR 3:invNorm
temperatures.
Go to STAT EDIT