Calculators & Math - FML

[Setheroo]

My mind works in a funny kinda way - I usually don't know how something is supposed to work until I see the end result. Once I know what an answer is supposed to look like I can usually work my way backwards to find out how the work was done.

That may or may not have made sense to you all - but it is just me.

 

[annoyingrob]

We should start an Engineer's Daily Math thread... and we all post what REAL WORLD math we get to use, so others get an idea what's to be expected.

Do it!

 

[Doward]

Trig. I've used more Trigonometry building things in my workshop than anything else. Geometry is a close second

The only time I've really had to bust out the calculus is when modeling.

 

[KicknAsphlt]

Graphing calculators are wonderful for doing very many things. Most notably, graphing huge equations and calculating long, drawn out expressions.

However, you should really know how to do anything that the calculator is doing.

IMO, if you can't do it by hand, you don't know how to do it at all. If you need the calculator to do it, then you don't know the process. To trust anything you do on a computer, calculator etc.. you MUST be able to verify it by hand.

If engineering classes at CU have taught me anything it's these principals.

Note to self... :sarcasm:

 

[WhtMa71]

I got a TI83 in highschool and am still using it in college.

You HAVE to have one for stastics and Business Stats. since it's all T and Z tests pretty much. And screw doing square roots by hand.

Im using Excel more than anything in Bus. Stats. right now. Ah, my last math class required for my major. Thank GOD...

 

[OneJoeZee]

Nothing wrong with using calculators in class.

The problem is with classes that don't teach how to do the material without calculators first.

 

[Clueless]

People will always find a way to cheat....always! As for calculators in class, I work out the problem on paper and use my calculator at the same time.

 

[MK3Brent]

Haha, I do that.

There are some multiplication tricks with double digits who's last digits sum of 10, so I'll say them out in my head as I'm putting them in my calculator.

Like, 82 times 88 should be 7216... **hits enter** and then the answer pops up, and I go "Yup."

or if I'm doing percentages, I'll say "Should be about.... ***" and I just write in the decimals.

 

[adampecush]

At work, I rock the TI83 like there is no tomorrow. 98% of what I learned in my 6 university math classes (4 of which were calculus, no calculators allowed) i have forgotten; however, I rarely feel the need to determine the cosine of an angle without a calculator.

 

[MK3Brent]

At work, I rock the TI83 like there is no tomorrow. 98% of what I learned in my 6 university math classes (4 of which were calculus, no calculators allowed) i have forgotten; however, I rarely feel the need to determine the cosine of an angle without a calculator.

I think they gave us a small chart with them all in there for my "no calculator" classes.

 

[adampecush]

I think they gave us a small chart with them all in there for my "no calculator" classes.

heh, no charts for us.

thats just one of the many reasons for my subpar performance in math.