[ale] [OT] Strange Request: Demonstrate a Calculator is Working Correctly

[DJPfulio at jdpfu.com (DJ-Pfulio)]

Found this: http://faculty.tcc.fl.edu/scma/carrj/Etc/calculator-psc.html
where the prof describes hatred of the TI-30XA and a few similar
calculators.

I haven't used a calculator beyond simple arithmetic in decades.



On 09/20/2015 09:37 AM, Tom Freeman wrote:
> 
> I ran into a problem a while back, and I'm wondering if anybody has a
> decent answer.
> 
> Working at the board, I raced the students to get a calculation
> performed. I shouldn't have bothered. Our respective results diverged
> about the fourth place, with my little TI-30XA being a minority of one.
> (Sadly, I didn't think to write the problem down for further
> investigation.) I switched to a backup graphing calculator, and things
> went smoothly.
> 
> Question that some googleing hasn't properly answered: How do you test a
> simple hand calculator to demonstrate proper operation?
> 
> Obviously, the simple response is to dump the suspect calculator. Trash
> it with extreme predjudice as it were.
> 
> However, since there are individuals on this list who need extended
> precision in their work, I wonder if they know how to test a hand
> calculator for correctness.
> 
> Come to think of it - having a faulty calculator or three and a testing
> procedure might be a good instructional process for students. We do need
> to trust our equipment, and we need to continuously check it for error.
> 
> In any event, my thanks to the list for the use of their bandwidth.