Re: Calculators

["RAUBER, JOEL" <JOEL_RAUBER@SDSTATE.EDU>]

What about calculators that are now capable of a fair degree of symbolic
manipulation?

Joel

And of course there is the big complaint that problems without numbers are
too much theory.
At least that is what the students say.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: James Mackey [mailto:jmackey@HARDING.EDU]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 8:41 AM
> To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
> Subject: Re: Calculators
>
>
> My exams are almost always symbolic solution problems so
> calculators are of
> little use. There are used for some homework and extensively
> in lab.  Some of
> my students thoroughly understand the math they do, while
> others are have no
> clue about the math operations they do with their calculator.
>  This doesn't
> seem to have changed a lot over the last 20 years other than
> the types of
> operations that can be done now on modern calculators.
> James Mackey
>
> Bernard Cleyet wrote:
>
> > Perhaps the problems written would be solved (ameliorated?)
> with exercises
> > in plotting the functions, of which those calculators are capable.
> >
> > bc
> >
> > "John S. Denker" wrote:
> >
> > > > FOUAD AJAMI wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Is there any calculator that will give the two values of inverse
> > > > trigonometric functions?
> > >
> > > Are you sure you want to say "two values"?
> > >  In the sense that sqrt() has two values,
> > >  I suspect that arcsin() has somewhat more than two values.
> > >
> > > > On the other hand, students should know how to
> calculate these things.
> > > I would think so.
> > >
> > > If they understand the principles, then _any_ calculator
> > > will easily yield the required values.
> > >
> > > If they don't understand the principles, there is nothing
> > > any calculator can do that will improve the situation much.
> > >
> > > > However, it seems that I am spending a lot of time
> explaining simple
> > > > trigonometric principles in connection with a course in waves.
> > > > Same kind of arguments as when we moved from slide rules to
> > > > calculators in the 70's.?
> > >
> > > My grandfather used to say "it's a poor workman who
> blames his tools."