Introduction to the TI-83 and the TI-83 Plus
I.
Keyboard
Black and white keys – the primary functions
Gray and white keys – number keys
Blue and white keys – common mathematical functions
2nd key – functions specified in yellow color
Alpha key – alpha character specified in green color
II.
Turning the calculator ON and OFF
To turn the calculator on press the ON key (lower left key)
To turn the calculator off press ( 2nd ON in yellow)
III.
How to adjust the contrast
Repeatedly press and release the yellow 2nd key and
 To darken the screen contrast, press and hold the blue arrow  key
 To lighten the screen contrast, press and hold the blue arrow  key
IV.
How to reset the TI-83
 Press ON to turn on the calculator
 Press 2nd MEM
 Press 5 to select Reset ( 7 in the TI-83 Plus)
 Press 1 to Reset all memory
 Press 2 to select Rest
 Press ENTER
Note: if necessary adjust the contrast by following the steps in III.
V.
Selecting an item from a menu
Exercise 1: use the MATH menu to convert the decimal 0.24 to a fraction
 Type 0.24
 Press MATH (fourth row of first column) to select the math menu
 Press 1 to select ►Frac, to convert to a fraction
 ENTER
answer: 6/25
Exercise 2: use the MATH menu to compute 7 215
 Type 7 to indicate the seventh root
 Press MATH
 Press 5 (to select the fifth sub-menu x
)
 215 ENTER
answer: 2.153800603
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Exercise 3. Use the MATH menu to find the least common multiple of 24 and
60
 Press MATH
 Press the right arrow ► to select NUM
 Press 8 (or move the down arrow until to obtain lcm , press LCM
 lcm(24, 60) ENTER
answer: 129
Exercise 4. Use the MODE menu to find the value (0.0375)(3.4576)
rounded 3 decimal places
 MODE ▼(to Float) ► to 3 ENTER
 (0.0375)(3.4576) ENTER
answer: 0.130
VI.
How to exit a menu without making a selection
 2nd QUIT will remove menus from the screen
 Selecting a new menu will replace an existing menu
 Press CLEAR to return to the screen where you were
VII.
Negative number
Use (-) on the lower row to indicate negative numbers.
Use - (under W) to indicate subtraction.
VIII. Entering complex number (numbers of the form a+bi where i=  1 )
Complex numbers are entered by using the yellow i on the third column of
the bottom row.
Exercise 5. Simplify (1  2i ) 4
 (1 – 2i)^4 ENTER
answer: -7 + 24i
IX.
X.
The ALPHA key
When pressing the ALPHA key, the cursor becomes A (uppercase). The
ALPHA key is used to obtain letters of the alphabet (given in green).
Exercise 6. Write B1+K
 ALPHA B 1 + ALPHA K
ALPHA – lock
To enter more than one uppercase alpha character consecutively, use 2nd ALPHA.
To cancel ALPHA – lock press ALPHA
Exercise 7. Write ABC3D5 and A3BB5
 2nd ALPHA A B C ALPHA 3 ALPHA D 5

ALPHA
A 3 2nd ALPHA B B ALPHA 5
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XI.





XII.


Inserting, deleting and clearing characters
2nd INS inserts characters at the position of the cursor and shifts remaining
characters to the right.
DEL deletes a character at the cursor position
CLEAR – on a line with text, clears the current line
CLEAR – on a blank line, clears the entire home screen
CLEAR CLEAR – clears the entire home screen
Multiple entries on a line
To enter two or more expressions or instructions on the same line, use colons
ALPHA :
Exercise 8. Find the value of A + B when A = 5 and B = 16
 5 STO  ALPHA A ALPHA : 16 STO  ALPHA B
A + B ENTER
answer: 21
ALPHA :
XIII. The MODE menu
 Normal
Sci
Eng
Normal: displays results in standard numeral notation, with digits to the right
and to the left of the decimal point
Sci (scientific notation): displays results in the form xEn where x is a real
number, 1  x  10 , and n is an integer.
xEn means x  10 n
To input a number in scientific form use the 2nd EE key located in the
fifth row and second column.
Exercise 9. Set the calculator in Scientific Mode and enter the numbers
245000, 756, 0.00023, 0.035, 45E6

MODE  (to Sci) ENTER
 245000 ENTER
answer: 2.45E5 which means 2.45  10 5
 756 ENTER
answer: 7.56E2 which means 7.56  10 2
 0.00023 ENTER
answer: 2.3 E -4 which means 2.3  10 4
 0.035 ENTER
answer: 3.5E-2 which means 3.5  10 2
 45EE6 ENTER
answer: 4.5E7
Exercise 10. With the calculator in Scientific Mode, perform the following
2.54  10 7 5.4  10 5
operation:
3.6  10 4
 2.54EE  7  5.4EE5  3.6EE  4 ENTER
 answer: 3.81E2 which means 3.82  10 2 or 382
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

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Eng (engineering notation): displays the output in the form xEn where a is a
real number, 1  x  1000 and n is a multiple of 3.
Exercise 11. Set the calculator in Engineering Mode and enter the numbers
245000, 756, 0.00023, 0.035, 45E6

MODE   (to Eng) ENTER
 245000 ENTER
answer: 245E3 which means 245 10 3
 756 ENTER
answer: 756E0 which means 756  10 0
 0.00023 ENTER
answer: 230 E -6 which means 230  10 6
 0.035 ENTER
answer: 35E-3 which means 35  10 3
 45EE6 ENTER
answer: 45E6

MODE ▼Float – the output is given with up to 10 digits, plus any sign and
the floating decimal point

MODE ▼Float ►(fixed) – the output is given rounded to the specified
number of decimal places
Exercise 12. Set the calculator in Normal Mode and enter the following
11
numbers rounded to 4 decimal places: 0.043569, , , 35 ,  , e , 4.357E-2
17

MODE  (to Normal) ENTER
 ▼(to float) ►►►►► (to 4 decimal places)
 0.043569 ENTER
answer: .0436
 11÷17 ENTER
answer: .6471

answer: 5.9161
(35) ENTER
  ENTER
answer: 3.1416
 e ENTER
answer: 2.7183
 4.357E-2 ENTER answer: .0436

ANGLE MODE:
Radian – to input angles in radians
Degrees – to input angles in degrees.

Graphing MODE:
Func: functional graphing, y=f(x)
Pol: polar graphing , r = f(  )
Param: parametric graphing, y=f(t) and x=g(t)
Seq: plot of sequences
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
Connected or Dot
Connected – draws a line connecting the points calculated
Dot – only the calculated point of the selected function are plotted

Sequential or simultaneous
Sequential - plots each function completely before the next function is plotted
Simultaneously - all functions selected are evaluated and plotted at a single
value of x and then evaluated and plotted for the next value of x, and so on.

Real and complex number modes
Real – does not display complex results unless complex numbers are entered
as input.
Rectangular complex mode – complex numbers are displayed in the a + bi
form.
Polar Complex mode – complex numbers are displayed in the polar form
re ^  i form.
Full, horizontal – split and graph – table
Full – uses the entire screen to display a graph
Horizontal mode – displays the graph on the top half of the screen and the
home screen on the bottom half.
Graph table – displays the current graph on the left half of the screen and the
table screen on the right half.

XIV How to create and clear variables
 To assign a value to a variable use the STO  key. The variable will keep
the value assigned until another value is assigned to the variable, or if its value
is deleted by using the MEM (the memory) key.
 To delete the value of a variable use 2nd MEM 2 (Del) 2 (Real)
Exercise 13. Create the variables A=5, B=7 and C=2A+3B, then clear their
values.
 5 STO  A: 7 STO  B: A+B STO  C ENTER
answer: 12
 ALPHA A
ENTER
answer: 5
 ALPHA B
ENTER
answer: 7
 ALPHA C
ENTER
answer: 12
nd
 2 MEM 2 (del) 2 Real ENTER
 select the variables to be deleted by using the  key
 ►A press ENTER in the TI-83 or DEL in the TI-83 Plus
 ►B press ENTER in the TI-83 or DEL in the TI-83 Plus
 ►C press ENTER in the TI-83 or DEL in the TI-83 Plus
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