Updated: 1 September 2006
Updated: 1 September 2006
Notice:
Both PHY2048 and PHY2049 operate under a policy similar to that used
by the national organization that administers most of the licensing exams
for engineers, a policy that bans the TI 83 and all other
calculators with similar alphanumeric storage and/or
communication capabilities.
Calculators allowed by the NCEES include the TI 30X IIS, TI 36X Solar, HP 30s, HP 33s, HP 9s, Casio FX115 MS, and a few variants of these. I allow a few that the NCEES does not permit, such as the Sharp EL-531VB (or EL-531WB), which is pretty much equivalent to the TI 30X IIS. (See below for my comments on their features and the price you might expect to pay.) In addition, you can use low-end calculators (such as the TI 30Xa) that no self-respecting engineer or computer scientist would own. Slide rules and similar analog computational devices (such as an abacus) are also permitted. Don't even think about asking to use a cell phone, PDA, or electronic dictionary.
You can read the NCEES Calculator policy, which applies to the "Fundamentals of Engineering" exam taken as the first step to becoming a licensed engineer in most fields and most states. They provide a list of the specific calculators they allow in the examination room. At one time they had a report giving some very interesting reasons for adopting their policy. My concerns do not include retrofit communication tools, although that is a concern, but focus on the impracticality of resetting every calculator in a large class within the limited time available before the exam begins. Besides, every problem is designed to be done with a calculator that cannot do symbolic algebra or calculus.
A side comment: If I did require the TI-83, my operating assumption when writing exams would be that you know how to use all of its features. Thus there would be few points awarded for using the correct equation for a problem, and no credit given for any mistakes made when solving those equations. For example, I would expect you to be able to solve a system of equations using the matrix manipulation tools of the TI-83 on exams. Partial credit would only be given on problems that use algebra in a "calculator free" environment.
You are allowed to use the TI-83 in the lab, but the reset policy (see below) applies to its use on lab exams. Any other alphanumeric calculator is forbidden on lab exams because I do not know the details of its functionality, or because I do. You cannot use the "Silver Edition" of the TI-83 or the new TI-84 on lab exams. If you normally use one of those, bring your "physics" calculator on exam days.
A cell phone is not a calculator, it (along with PDAs, electronic dictionaries, iPods, MP3 or MP4 players, computers, and sophisticated calculators) is an illegal electronic device whose use during an exam will be considered cheating. I define "use" to include having a wired or wireless (e.g. Bluetooth) earpiece in place during the exam.
If you are "on call", you can leave your phone on my desk during the test. Otherwise, turn it off and put it in your backpack. If you answer your cell phone, I will pick up your test. If it rings, let it ring. If I see an earpiece in place, I will pick up your test. Put it away. Consider yourself warned.
You may not share calculators during a test, so come prepared.
If necessary, you can buy a calculator at the TCC Bookstore
for less than $15.
I only want to see naked calculators on your desk during exams.
Remove the cover from your calculator and leave it in your backpack.
You should never come to class without your scientific calculator, so it is important to own one that is easily carried every day in your book bag and use it for all of your physics homework and studying. You should use the same calculator for homework that you will use on exams so that you are very familiar with all of its features. It is a poor carpenter who uses a nail gun to prepare for a job where only a hammer will be allowed.
Legal Calculators:
You can use a scientific calculator that does not have the
ability to store alphanumeric data or communicate with other
electronic devices (by any means). Your calculator needs to
be able to handle scientific notation and evaluate trig,
inverse trig, log, and exponential functions. Some of the
popular choices include the TI 34 II, TI 30X IIS,
Sharp EL-531VB, Casio fx-115, and the HP 30s.
These calculators also have the advantage of being cheap (all are less than $20), giving you a reliable backup for your TI-83 in other classes. In addition, they generally have a clear display of what mode (degrees or radians) they are in so you will not make that sort of units mistake on a test. You can leave your "math" calculator in radians and your "physics" calculator in degrees.
The standard calculator at TCC is illegal:
TCC math classes, starting with college algebra and continuing
through calculus, allow (or even require) the TI 83Plus
and generally allow the almost-equivalent TI 83.
Some tolerate the TI 83Plus Silver Edition that is delivered
with capabilities beyond those of the TI 83Plus, or
even the TI 84 or TI 85.
You may not use these calculators in PHY2048 or PHY2049.
Students in the physics labs may use the standard
TI-83Plus calculator, but it will be reset before exams.
A TI-83 calculator is not required for the lab and I will not teach assuming you have it. We have computer programs in the lab that fit data while providing additional information and graphs that even the fancy calculators do not provide. (The most commonly used program, Graphical Analysis, is also available at campus computer labs for use outside of class.) You will not be at a disadvantage if you use a cheaper calculator in lab. You might even find it easier to use a cheaper calculator (such as the Sharp EL-531VB or TI 30X IIS) to find the mean and standard deviation of a data set.
Illegal calculators:
You may never use the
TI 83Plus Silver Edition, TI-84 (any version),
TI 85, TI 86, TI 89,
or similar calculators (such as high-end ones from HP) on tests.
Doing so will be considered cheating under the TCC honor code,
and appropriate action (starting with holding the calculator
as evidence and picking up the offender's exam) will be taken.
I will use the first quiz as an opportunity to check what you use.
I will change the status of the TI 83Plus Silver Edition
in the lab if someone shows me in the owner's manual and by demonstration
that its extra capabilities are eliminated when it is reset.
The same policy applies to any calculator that you wish to use
other than the basic ones described above.
A cell phone (or a PDA such as a Palm device or dictionary) is not a calculator. Such devices may not be used in any way during an exam. I don't even want to see a cell phone on your desk, and if you answer it during an exam I will pick up your exam.
Important Notes:
The following is a partial list of scientific calculators that are legal to use, along with my opinions about them. Almost all of these are "solar" with battery backup, a big plus when your career depends on it working. Unless otherwise noted, the prices are from the Staples web site as of July 20, 2006. (Shipping is extra, so store prices are sometimes higher.) I also give the TCC Bookstore price (on 7/19/2006) for the two models they carry.
Note: Be sure you know how your calculator handles a unary minus (negative sign) in conjunction with the x2 operation. You might be surprised at the result; some out there will give an algebraically incorrect answer. [The correct answer to -32 is -9.]
Ask first, buy later.
A waste of a lot of money:
The TI-89 is advertised as being for "university" and
"calculus" classes. That may be true, but that does not mean you
can use it in my class and you may not be able to use it in your
calculus class except on an exam where a laptop or desktop computer
running MAPLE is also allowed. Using it under any other circumstances
places you at risk for getting caught violating the TCC Honor Code.
Similar comments apply to advertising claims made for other
high-end calculators.
A total waste of less money:
My experience with students trying to use the TI 30Xa
indicates that it, and any calculators that implement parentheses
in the same way it does, should be avoided at any cost.
(Fortunately, the cost of avoiding it is only a few dollars.)
Students have trouble verifying complex calculations when the
sub-expressions are evaluated as soon as the parentheses are closed,
which is the way most of the 1-line calculators work.
Contact me
if you have any questions.
My TCC home page.