The tutor covers a simple, yet powerful feature of the Texas Instruments TI-30xa. Using the memory can save time in multi-step calculations. With the TI-30xa, here’s how: Enter the number you want to store on the display. (It can also …
Calculator usage: using the memory on the TI-30xa Read more »
The tutor illuminates a very plain, yet critical, concept from physics. Average velocity has the following definition: vave=displacement/time Displacement means your change in position. (Read more about the difference between distance and displacement in my post here.) Travelling straight-line, displacement …
The tutor’s casual observation leads to a discussion about evaporation. Last Saturday, my children and I had a water fight in the back yard. We filled two buckets (one for each side) from which to replenish our water guns. Looking …
The tutor briefly explains why water can dissolve so many salts. A salt is a compound consisting of a metal plus a nonmetal. (You can see my post here for some background, as well as related posts in my chemistry …
Polarity: why ionic substances (salts) dissolve in water Read more »
In high school, the tutor had a calculator much like the TI-30XA. For scientific notation, there’s probably none better. What some people call the “normal” way to write a number, is also known as “float”. So 1.35×10-3 is 0.00135 in …
Scientific notation: toggling back and forth on the TI-30XA Read more »
The tutor continues about the phenomenon of half life and one of its well-known applications. In my post from yesterday I introduced the topic of carbon dating and the principles that make it feasible. Today I’ll give a few more …
The tutor continues to investigate energy alternatives. The comparison between electric and gasoline cars might depend on your point of view. Someone told me a while ago that electric cars are 50% efficient. I was surprised to hear that number, …
Energy efficiency: electric cars vs gasoline-powered cars Read more »
Tutoring physics or chemistry, you remember your attachment to your calculator as you pursued those subjects. The tutor observes a feature of great convenience on the SHARP EL-520W. In high school physics, you might be posed the following question: How …
Calculator features: built-in constants on the SHARP EL-520W Read more »
As a math tutor, you’ll likely introduce this concept. It’s used even more in physics and chemistry. So often in my university science courses I’d read “the mass is directly proportional to the volume” or “the distance is directly proportional …
Entering scientific notation on calculators is an important consideration. When you tutor high school sciences, you’ll want to mention it. If you’re a new arrival, you might want to read my previous post on scientific notation. Assuming you’re good with …