Tutoring Center 972-860-2974
Room C209
Checking Factoring on the TI-83 calculator
Check Method 1:
Check factors/answer on the home screen in equation form.
Factor x2 - 12x + 36. OR Find (x - 6)2.
•
•
•
•
•
Choose your “favorite” positive one-digit (for ease)
integer value and store the value in x (do not pick 0 or 1).
For example, to store a 7: 7 STO► x
Hit ENTER.
Enter the problem to be factored (or multiplied) and set
"=" to one of the possible answers (or the answer you
want to check). The "=" sign is under 2nd MATH
(TEST) #1 =.
Hit ENTER.
If a 0 appears, this is NOT the correct answer.
If a 1 appears, this IS the correct answer.
Check Method 2:
Check factors/answer by graphing.
Factor x2 - 12x + 36. OR Find (x - 6)2.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Enter the expression into the Y1= on the calculator.
Enter the possible answer response into Y2=.
Move to the left of the Y2= and choose the open circle. This setting will allow you to
clearly see the animated circle crossing the screen.
When the answer is correct, the animated circle will be "riding" on top of the original
graph.
Keep checking until the correct answer is found.
The only difficult feature of this method is the occasional need to adjust the viewing
window to see the graph.
The animated bubble does not run along the
original curve. It forms its own graph.
This is not the correct solution.
The animated bubble runs along the
original graph. This is the answer
Updated 2-16-09