My teacher told us to have a calculator that will do scientific notation and logs. I have a TI-30A Texas Instrument, but I don't know if my calculator can do that. Please help.

Set the display mode to SCIentific

Press 2nd [SCI/ENG], use the arrow keys to select SCI, then press ENTER. To control the number of digits after the decimal point, press 2nd [FIX] and select the desired number.

Exactly as you would any two numbers. If you are not comfortable with the notation enclose each number in scientific notation between parentheses. This way you can be sure that the priority of operations is respected.

Press 2nd [SCI] to switch the calculator to display all results in scientific notation. The results are the same whether you do it in scientific notation or not, it's just how the number is displayed.

You can download the guidebook from the manufacturer's web site at
http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/productDetail/us_ti84p.html?bid=6

To set the display to scientific notation, press MODE, right-arrow to highlight "Sci" on the first line, press ENTER to set it, then 2nd [QUIT] to exit the mode editor.

Unfortunately, you don't. For numbers whose magnitudes differ too greatly from 1, the calculator automatically switches to scientific (or engineering) notation. You can press MODE and change the display settings, but there is no setting that will force the calculator to show this number without an exponent.

Hello,
The error comes from the lack of understanding of the meaning of the notation used by the calculator manufacturers.
The [EE] is a "shorthand" notation for times 10 to the power of .
To convince you of it try entering

1[EE]0 [=] this is 1*10^0=1*1=1
1[EE]1 [=] this is 1*10^1=1*10=10
1[EE]2 [=] this is 1*10^2=1*100=100

When you enter 7.82x10[EE]10
you are calculating
7.82*10*1*10^10=7.82x10^11.

Hope it helps.

One solution that you might try is to put the scientific numbers in parentheses. For instance open parenthesis, type in the first scientific notation then close parenthesis, next hit the divide key and then open parenthesis and type in the 2nd number in scientific that you are dividing by and then close parenthesis. Hit enter or =. I'm not sure if this will fix your problem, but it is worth a try.

Basically you first have to put your answer into scientific notation by pressing the 3rd key then the 6 key. The screen display should change to one big zero and two small zeros.

I was workinggon the same problem with a -log of a chemistry problem to get pH and I knew the answer because I calculated it on it TI-85, but we are not allowed to use graphing calulators on the exam (:-((() so I had to figure out how to do it on this one!

For example, I had pH =-log(2.828947x10^4)

On the TI-36X you change to scientific notation using the instructions above. Once the three zeros enter on the screen:
[4]
[-]
[2nd]
[10^x]

1^-04 should appear on screen, then you multiply by 2.828947

[x]
[2][.][828947]
then your screen will show the answer in scientific notation.

2.828947 in big numbers and in small numbers -04
From there you simply press:
[log]
and your answer will show up as a negative number. Just take the absolute value of that and you have your answer. Took me like 30 minutes the night before a huge chemistry exam to figure that out! Hope it helps someone!

Hello,

1. To convert a number to scientific equation, use [2nd][Sci]
Exemples 12345 [=] screen shows 12345 Then [2nd][Sci] coverts it to 1.2345 ^04 to the power 4.
2. To enter directly a number in scientific notation (e.g. -1.2345 X10^(-65) a very small number) you use the [EE] key 1.2345[+ /-][EE][+/-]65 shows as -1.2345 -65
1.6X10^(-19) 1.6[EE][+/-]19 shows as 1.6 -19

Hope it helps