Engineering statics calculator

In summary, my professor today told the class(engineering statics) that we should invest in the ti-89 or an equivelant. He claimed that the ti-83 was good for middle school but not for University work. However, I was forced to buy a ti-83 because the math department at my school doesn't allow anything higher. When we studied statics in general physics it never seemed necessary to own a better calculator but I am not sure how much more detailed this course will be. Would you say it would be necessary to purchase a ti-89 for the class(engineering statics)? You should ask him specifically what he expects his students to use the calculator to do. Is he expecting you to compute integ
  • #1
trajan22
134
1
My professor today told the class(engineering statics) that we should invest in the ti-89 or an equivelant. He claimed that the ti-83 was good for middle school but not for University work.
However, I was forced to buy a ti-83 because the math department at my school doesn't allow anything higher.
When we studied statics in general physics it never seemed necessary to own a better calculator but I am not sure how much more detailed this course will be.

Would you say it would be necessary to purchase a ti-89 for the class(engineering statics)?
 
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  • #2
You should ask him specifically what he expects his students to use the calculator to do. Is he expecting you to compute integrals with the calculator, even if you don't know how to do them by hand? A well-designed class honestly almost never demands the use of a calculator, though sometimes it can speed up boring computations.

- Warren
 
  • #3
No, you will never need a Ti-89. What the hell would you need an 89 for in statics?
 
  • #4
Well, my suggestion would be to know where you can get one quickly if you do find you need it, and then wait to see how the coursework goes. If you find you can get by with what you have, then great, no need to spend more money on another calculator. If it turns out you really DO need a better calculator, then you'll be ready to buy it as soon as you get into the material that requires it. That sucks that they're making you buy two different calculators. When I was in college, none of the engineering majors needed special calculators for their classes...it was more like your math department where they were discouraged in favor of learning how to actually work the problems rather than letting your calculator do all the work for you. You ought to know how to crunch numbers by hand if it really came down to it, but then I'm old-fashioned about things like that. :rolleyes: So, I'd just take a wait-and-see approach before shelling out more money for a calculator if you really don't need it (you may find that you can do the problems with the one you have, but not fast enough to get them done on time in an exam, in which case, you will not want to wait until the first exam to determine this).
 
  • #5
I can honestly say that a graphing calculator is a tremendous asset for many kinds of engineering work. Often, just being able to visualize whatever problem you're working on will give you enough intuition to solve it properly.

The higher-end calculators include computer-algebra systems, which can solve equations, compute integrals, etc. The problem is that most of them are pretty primitive, and cannot deal with truly difficult problems. The only integrals they can easily solve are the kind you could easily solve on paper, too. You're better off just using paper most of the time, unless there's just a ton of simple, annoying algebra to wade through.

- Warren
 
  • #6
A Ti-83 is a graphing calculator that does linear algebra. The only thing a Ti-89 does is solve integrals. You don't need a Ti-89, period.

If you can't do it on an 83, use a table of integrals and learn to solve it in matlab.
 
  • #7
Get a Ti-83, and remember, Maple/Mathmatica are your friends, and one of them should be on your math and physics department's computers.
 
  • #8
Moonbear said:
Well, my suggestion would be to know where you can get one quickly if you do find you need it, and then wait to see how the coursework goes. If you find you can get by with what you have, then great, no need to spend more money on another calculator. If it turns out you really DO need a better calculator, then you'll be ready to buy it as soon as you get into the material that requires it. So, I'd just take a wait-and-see approach before shelling out more money for a calculator if you really don't need it (you may find that you can do the problems with the one you have, but not fast enough to get them done on time in an exam, in which case, you will not want to wait until the first exam to determine this).

Thats a good point, I think Ill just wait and see what happens. He said that test problems would be of the same difficulty as the homework, so if the homework requires a better calculator I guess Ill know.

That sucks that they're making you buy two different calculators. When I was in college, none of the engineering majors needed special calculators for their classes...it was more like your math department where they were discouraged in favor of learning how to actually work the problems rather than letting your calculator do all the work for you. You ought to know how to crunch numbers by hand if it really came down to it, but then I'm old-fashioned about things like that. :rolleyes:

The funny thing is, is that my school requires a graphing calculator, but you can't use them on tests or quizzes anyway.(at least in all the calculus courses) So its only good for homework problems and exploration. So I guess they still make us actually learn the stuff rather than just punching buttons.
 
  • #9
Its statics. You dont need a Ti-89 for statics. :rolleyes:

You could do statics on a calculator that has only the most basic functions.
 
  • #10
cyrusabdollahi said:
Its statics. You dont need a Ti-89 for statics. :rolleyes:

Yeah, I don't really understand what kind of complex integrals arise in statics. It's mostly just plain algebra.

- Warren
 
  • #11
chroot said:
Yeah, I don't really understand what kind of complex integrals arise in statics. It's mostly just plain algebra.

- Warren

Thats what I had always thought. Maybe the professor was thinking that it would be easier to solve quadratics since the ti-89 will solve them with a lot less effort. But this would'nt merrit spending 100 + dollars to simplify an already simple process. Also, Maybe to make vectors easier to work with but then again that is'nt too difficult either.
 
  • #14
Integral said:
For a math major a calculator is nearly useless.

Did you click the link? :rofl:

- Warren
 
  • #15
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  • #16
chroot said:
Did you click the link? :rofl:

- Warren

I guess the answer to that is pretty clear! I have now! :rofl:
 
  • #17
mattmns said:
Once I became a math major, I decided to go all out and buy a TI-108: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005CAYQ/?tag=pfamazon01-20

:rofl: That's about all I've needed to use for most of my career. Needed one with a few trig functions for my undergrad degree, but now I use it to balance my checkbook and make sure I don't make a stupid mistake in simple division when calculating dilutions in the lab while being asked questions by 3 people at once. :rolleyes:
 
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  • #18
Personally, I've found a good calculator is invaluable for some engineering courses. The Pickett N4ES is particularly good for electrical engineering courses due to the dual base logarithmic scale (a lot of problems require base 10 logs). It also solves quadratic equations very quickly using a visual iterative process.

Pickett N4ES
(Edit: Don't forget to move the parts using your cursor. This really works.)

Of course, it doesn't help all that much in statistics, since it doesn't do sums. Then again, Microsoft Excel can do anything you want to do for statistics and most of what you want to do for any other course (provided you simplify the calculus problems by hand into something you can enter into Excel). Edit: Or, alternatively, you can buy a Picket N525-ES that's specifically designed for statistics.

Pickett N525-ES Stat Rule
 
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  • #19
BobG said:
Personally, I've found a good calculator is invaluable for some engineering courses. The Pickett N4ES is particularly good for electrical engineering courses due to the dual base logarithmic scale (a lot of problems require base 10 logs). It also solves quadratic equations very quickly using a visual iterative process.

Pickett N4ES
(Edit: Don't forget to move the parts using your cursor. This really works.)

Of course, it doesn't help all that much in statistics, since it doesn't do sums. Then again, Microsoft Excel can do anything you want to do for statistics and most of what you want to do for any other course (provided you simplify the calculus problems by hand into something you can enter into Excel). Edit: Or, alternatively, you can buy a Picket N525-ES that's specifically designed for statistics.

Pickett N525-ES Stat Rule

This thread keeps getting funnier and funnier by the post! :rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
  • #20
I've always wondered what some of my profs would say if I showed up to class with a slide rule...
 
  • #21
tacosareveryyum said:
I've always wondered what some of my profs would say if I showed up to class with a slide rule...

Depends on whether you can actually use all of the scales on it or not. The older ones are impressed as hell, while the younger ones barely have a clue what it is.

Of course, buying the TI-89 and not being able to figure out how to convert from rectangular coordinates to polar coordinates isn't very impressive either. I'm amazed at how many people fork out over a $100 dollars for a calculator and don't know how to use it - they don't know that most of the constants they'll need are already stored in the calculator or that they can add any additional constants that they need, they do strange things that lock up their calculator to the point they can't even turn them off, they can't find any of the functions they need, etc.

It's funny when someone comes in at the start of a class with their new, better calculator, and after a couple weeks they're using their old calculator because they don't have time to learn the new one and do their course work at the same time.

Of course, eventually they do learn how to use the calcuator they buy, but buying one on the first day of class makes for a traumatic life.
 
  • #22
I think that if they're going to require an expensive calculator, then they ought to teach you how to use it for the things you need it for too. Otherwise, yeah, you're better off using the one you already know how to use than shelling out a bunch of money and wasting more time finding the functions on the calculator than it would take to solve the problems by hand.
 
  • #23

What is an Engineering Statics Calculator?

An Engineering Statics Calculator is a tool used by engineers to analyze and solve problems related to statics, which is the branch of mechanics that deals with objects at rest or in a state of constant motion. It uses mathematical equations and algorithms to calculate forces, moments, and reactions in a system.

How does an Engineering Statics Calculator work?

An Engineering Statics Calculator works by inputting known values, such as force, distance, and angle, and using mathematical equations to calculate unknown values, such as reactions and moments. It uses the principles of statics, such as equilibrium and the free body diagram, to solve problems.

What types of problems can an Engineering Statics Calculator solve?

An Engineering Statics Calculator can solve various types of problems related to forces and moments, including determining reactions in a structure, calculating the forces acting on an object, and finding the center of gravity of a system. It can also solve problems related to trusses, frames, and beams.

What are the benefits of using an Engineering Statics Calculator?

The benefits of using an Engineering Statics Calculator include saving time and effort in solving complex problems, reducing the chances of errors in calculations, and providing accurate results. Additionally, it allows for the analysis of different scenarios and the comparison of results, which can aid in decision making.

Are there any limitations to an Engineering Statics Calculator?

While an Engineering Statics Calculator is a useful tool, it has some limitations. It can only solve problems based on the input data, and the accuracy of the results depends on the accuracy of the input values. It also cannot account for real-world factors like friction and material properties, which can affect the accuracy of the calculations.

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