Math Help - Ti calculator problem

1. Ti calculator problem

Hey there, I would ask this in the TI-calc program section, but its a problem, not a program. I thought someone might be a TI-36X Solar calculator guru to figure this one out

so the problem is that sometimes the calc puts decimal places in more than one figures spot. Also, the calculator displays 'grad' i'm not sure why.

this may not be the forum for a tech question, but i do need to use this calculator. thanks alot

2. Originally Posted by rcmango
Hey there, I would ask this in the TI-calc program section, but its a problem, not a program. I thought someone might be a TI-36X Solar calculator guru to figure this one out

so the problem is (A) that sometimes the calc puts decimal places in more than one figures spot. Also, (B) the calculator displays 'grad' i'm not sure why.

this may not be the forum for a tech question, but i do need to use this calculator. thanks alot
Hello,

I don't use this type of calculator so I'm guessing only: I assume that you've changed the settings of your calculator by accident:

(A) There are countries (Germany for instance) where the comma is the separator between integer part and fraction part of a rational number. The dot is used to separate the thousands. Example:
$\underbrace{1,023,111.987}_{\text{English writing}}~\longrightarrow~ \underbrace{1.023.111,987}_{\text{German writing}}$

(B) grad is a unit to measure an angle which is used by surveyors. The relation between degrees and grad is given by the following equation:

$90^\circ = 100^{g}$

3. yes, what you've said looks very similiar to whats going on here.

do you have any idea on how to change the calc mode out of grad?

appreciate the help.

4. Originally Posted by rcmango
yes, what you've said looks very similiar to whats going on here.

do you have any idea on how to change the calc mode out of grad?

appreciate the help.
On the top row of your keypad, the second button from the left says "DRG" over top of "HYP." You want the "3rd" function of this to cycle through deg, rad, and grad.

-Dan

5. thanks alot, whats the most common mode to be in, if i'm just doing common addition, subtraction, division and multiplication, plus ordinary sin and cos, trig etc...

thanks again!

6. Originally Posted by rcmango
thanks alot, whats the most common mode to be in, if i'm just doing common addition, subtraction, division and multiplication, plus ordinary sin and cos, trig etc...

thanks again!
That depends on what you are doing. If you are doing Mathematics or Geometry above, say High School level, then probably you will be working in radians. A Physics course would switch back and forth between radians and degrees. So far as I know only something like Engineering or Surveying would use gradians.

-Dan

7. I was a surveyor for years and they do not use gradians; degrees are used. Gradians are obsolete, and I wonder why they're even put on calculators. A gradian was developed during WWII because it was believed GI's were to stupid to understand 360 degrees in a circle, so they used 400 degrees in a circle. That way there is 100 degrees in a quadrant. Easier for the feeble-minded to understand, than 90 degrees in a quadrant.

8. Originally Posted by galactus
I was a surveyor for years and they do not use gradians; degrees are used. Gradians are obsolete, and I wonder why they're even put on calculators. A gradian was developed during WWII because it was believed GI's were to stupid to understand 360 degrees in a circle, so they used 400 degrees in a circle. That way there is 100 degrees in a quadrant. Easier for the feeble-minded to understand, than 90 degrees in a quadrant.
Mural Quadrants (very large astronomical angle measuring devices - as used
by the great Tycho Brahe etc) often have scales where the basic unit of
angle units of 1/96 th of a right angle. This is because the scales were
constructed from a 60 degree angle (constructable with straight edge and
compass) by repeated bisection. Thus one can divide the 60 degree angle
into 64th parts, which give 96th parts of a right angle.

RonL