How to Solve Equations with Any TI Graphing Calculator

Solve equations faster with these simple steps

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Last Updated: May 19, 2023

Sick and tired of punching in all 5 or 6 steps to a complicated algebraic problem? Well, with programming, just program the calculator so the only thing left to do is put in the variables! Read on if typing in every single part of an equation is boring!

Things You Should Know

Press the "PRGM" button your calculator to begin.
Press the right arrow twice to select the "Create New" option.
After creating an equation program, you can find it again by pressing "PRGM" and finding it in the list.

Steps

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Press Enter.
Press the right arrow once and under option #3, there will be "Disp". This stands for Display. It should go back to the main programming menu.
Afterwards, type "Volume" by pressing "2ND" and then "ALPHA" to lock typing mode. Then put another quotation mark after that. Hit Enter. The screen should look like this: PROGRAM:EXAMPLE :Disp "Volume"
Put another quotation mark and then type "1 CYLINDER". It should be the same as the example above, only with ":Disp "1 CYLINDER"" below that.
If more formulas are needed, follow the same steps just put the objects name instead of cylinder and put the numbers in order. Press Enter. Push the "PRGM" key at the menu to bring up another menu. Scroll down to #9 and select it. #9 should be Lbl. After that is done, type in K so that line should look like this: ":Lbl K". Press Enter.
Scroll down and select #1 which should be "Input". Then put "W" after the space in between "Input" and "W". Press Enter.
Hit "PRGM" (just push this key until told otherwise, but afterwards, go back to using the "PRGM" key to get your items needed.), and then hit enter, which will select "If". Type "W=1" after "If" to get "If W=1". Press Enter and find "Then" in the CTL menu section of the "PRGM" key. Yet again, press Enter.
Press Enter. Put in "Disp "Radius"". Press Enter. Then select "Input" and type "R" after it to look like "Input R". Press Enter. Select "Disp" and type in "Height". Press Enter. Find "Input" again, and type "H" so it will look like this: "Input H". Press Enter yet again.
In this last line, find "End" in the "PRGM" button menu and it is #7 in the first section which is "CTL". Then press "2ND" and then "MODE" right next to it to exit.
On there should be the name of the program that was just created. Highlight it and press enter. You should go back to the very first calculator screen and it should say "prgmEXAMPLE(obviously the name of the program, not Example)". Press enter again and watch the program unfold!
at the bottom of the screen, and it will show a menu that asks for the radius, put it in, then it will ask for the height, put it in, and it will give the answer. Congratulations, the program is now finished!

Community Q&A

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Question

It keeps giving me a syntax error when typing 1 next to the question mark. What can I do?

Community Answer

After your syntax error, hit "2:Goto" and it will take you to the error in your program. Check that your statement is correct as follows. :Input W :If W1 :Then (followed by the rest of the tutorial at that point).

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Tips

Create the inverse of the program as well, just in case an inverse equation pops up. For example, if an equation pops up that says to solve for "b" or the y-intercept, and it is in standard form, then you might want to make an equation that takes that into account also.

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Try to avoid having your memory cleared, for you will this and all programs on your calculator. Depending on the model of your calculator, there may be workarounds.

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Make sure the input of the program is verbatim; any incorrect entry will cause your program to error out or return incorrect results.

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