Gives wrong answer for power function

SOURCE: My TI-89 cant do simple calculations.

You have to set how the calculator handles numbers. To do this follow these steps: 1. Press the 'MODE' button. This brings up the calculator's main settings page. 2. Scroll down until you reach a field titled 'Exact/Approx...'. This is the setting for how the calculator handles numbers, whether it will show the exact answer (which is usually in fraction format) or whether it will show an approximate number (which will be in decimal format). 3. Press the right arrow which will bring up the options for that setting. You must now choose between three ways of handling numbers: -'1:AUTO' will determine which type of answer the calculator will give based on what numbers you want it to calculate (e.g. if you want an answer in decimal format just add a decimal somewhere in your problem). -'2:EXACT' will automatically display all answers in either whole number format or in fraction format. -'3:APPROXIMATE' will automatically display all answers in decimal format. 4. After you have selected one of those options press enter one more time to get out of the 'MODE' dialogue and return to the 'HOME' screen. Now try a problem and see what happens. Personally I like using 'AUTO' because then I don't have to keep returning to 'MODE' when I want either or. Hope this helped, I had the same problem when I first started using the TI-89.

SOURCE: fraction problem

Go into MODE to the second page.  In Exact/Approximate, change it to Approx instead of Auto or Exact.  This will give you decimals instead of fractions.

SOURCE: Wrong answer with squared negatives.

Your calculator will square a number before it applies the negative sign, so what you're actually doing is squaring 2, then applying the - sign to your answer. You need to put the -2 in parenthesis, so (-2)^2. That will give you 4. Hope this helps!

SOURCE: wrong trig ratio

Your calculator is set in radians. Press mode key. Arrow down to 3rd line. Highlight degree and press enter. Your calculator is now in degrees, not radians. To get out of the mode screen and back to home screen, press 2nd and then mode.

SOURCE: when I square a negative number (eg -2^2) it gives

You're not squaring a negative number, you're negating a square. What you need to do is calculate (-2)^2 instead of the -(2^2) you're now calculating.

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