TI-84 Plus CE Graphing Calculator For Dummies, 3rd Edition
Book image
Explore Book Buy On Amazon

You are going to love using the Trace feature on the TI-84 Plus to evaluate sequences. Remember, you are not tracing x-values as you do in Function mode. Follow these steps to evaluate a sequence at specific n values:

  1. Press [TRACE].

    See the first screen. Your trace starts at the smallest n value on the graph. The values of X and Y are displayed in the border at the bottom of your graph screen.

    The TI-84 Plus C displays functions and information in the border of the graph screen. The TI-84 Plus displays similar information directly on the graph screen.

    image0.jpg
  2. Press the right-arrow key to find the next term in the sequence.

    Notice, your cursor jumps from one point to the next.

  3. Enter a specific n value.

    After pressing [TRACE], entering a number opens up an entry line in the border at the bottom of your graph screen.

  4. Press [ENTER].

    While using Trace, you can enter a specific n value that is larger than the Xmax. As long as you enter a value smaller than nMax, you won't get an error message! See the second screen.

    You don’t need a graph to evaluate a sequence. Instead, use your calculator by pressing [2nd][MODE]. Enter u by pressing [ALPHA][TRACE][ENTER], then press [(] and the n-value you would like to evaluate. See the third screen.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Jeff McCalla is a mathematics teacher at St. Mary's Episcopal School in Memphis, TN. He cofounded the TI-Nspire SuperUser group, and received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science & Mathematics Teaching.

C.C. Edwards is an educator who has presented numerous workshops on using TI calculators.

This article can be found in the category: