Re: People are too dependant on calculators
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Re: People are too dependant on calculators
Tim Brierley wrote:
>
> Why is it that everyone NEEDS to have programs on their calculators
> to do all the things that are more easily done by hand. Even the more
> advanced topics like derivatives that are only functions of the TI-93
> (yes the other calculators have nder(x), but the 92 gives you the exact
> answer) are faster when done by hand. When it comes time on a test to
> use your knowledge that you attained from doing your homework, if you
> are not allowed to use your calculator, or if there is a time limit, it
> is bennificial to have taken the quicker apporach and do it by hand.
I definately agree that people have been using their calculators too
much lately, but there are some things where I fully support the use of
a calculator.
Situation A: Given that sin A=3/5 and cos B=5/13, find sin(A+B). With a
calculator, people would have inputed the equation
Sin(A+B)=sin A*cos B+cos A*sin B. They would then have to find out what
cos A by taking sqrt(1-(3/5)^2), etc. This process would take forever.
In your head, you know that cos A=4/5 and sin B=12/13, so
Sin(A+B)=63/65. Much easier in your head, with of course limited support
by calculators if necessary.
Situation B: Given that Lambda=3, and the distribution is in the form of
a Poisson distribution, what is the probility that X>=4? Without a
calculator, you would have to take a huge equation (e^(-Lambda*X)/X or
something, I can't get it off the top of my head...), while by using the
calculator, just input PoissonCDF(3,4). Immediately, you have the
answer. With this example, however, you might argue that by using the
calculator you're prevented from learning the equation. I agree, as I
can't remember the equation of the poisson distribution. However, I
really have no need to memorize that formula, and I have never met a
teacher who refused the use of calculators on a statistics test.
> Earlier on this newsgroup, people were panicing saying that they had
> no programs on their calculators to use on the SAT's. The topics on the
> SAT's are so simple that using a calculator makes is harder. If I
> remember correctly, the first problem was :
>
> x+x+x+x+x+1=x+x+x+x+2
Just for the fun of it, I went to the test without the calculator. I had
no problem whatsoever, except for one problem:
A=4 or B=5+1
a)A is bigger
b)B is bigger
c)A=B
d)cannot be determined from the information given
I guessed D...hope I was right. ;)
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