I want to complete normal calculations. the default says it is set at D for angles in degrees or something I just want to balance my check book and everytime I put in the calculations I get a fraction for an answer. Does anyone know how to set this up for a regular calculator? I have a fx-300es. I just bought it and can't figure out how to use it!

When you are handling trigonometric functions and their inverses, the results depend on the angle unit your calculator is configured for.
When angle is in degrees, tan (1/2)=8.726867791x10^(-3)
When angle is in radians, tan(0.5 radians)=0.5463024898

It seems that your angle unit on calculator is set to degrees, while it should be set to radians.

For your information, the sine is a ratio of two homogeneous quantities (they have the same units), and the result is a pure number.
Be it as it may, if you are calculating trigonometric functions, then you must set the angle unit correctly: according to the problem at hand you choose degrees or radians.
Most scientific calculators use the degree by default.

If you are calculating the arcs (arcsine, arccosine or arctangent) and you want the angle value in degrees, then you must configure the default unit to be degree.
How to do that on your calculator, I cannot say, because I do not know the make and model.

You are not using the right units. The integrals of functions involving angles (trigonometric functions) that you find in tables and other refrerences are valid only for the natural angle unit which is the radian. With any other angle unit (degree, gradian) there is a scale factor to take into account. That is the factor yoy are complaining about.

If it were not the case, the same integral will have two different values depending on the unit you use: and that cannot be.

If you want the calculator to give you the standard integrals in reference tables you must set the default angle unit to be radian.

Let x_deg be an angle in degrees and x_rad the corresponding value in radians.
180 deg=Pi rad
x_deg/180=x_rad/Pi
x_deg =(180 deg/PI)*x_rad
calculating the differentials of bot sides you obtain
dx_deg= (180/Pi) dx_rad

Similarly, with grads
dx_gr=(200/Pi)*dx_rad

To set the angle unit to degree, you proceed as follows.
Open the MAIN calculator window (screen capture 1)
Tap the down pointing arrow at the left (Left of Edit)



Tap the Geometry Format to open the next window. If the second drop down
window (Angle) does not display Degree, tap the small arrow at the right.
Highlight degree and press the Set button at the bottom. If you want degree
to be the default angle measure, tap the Default button

a

In Scratchpad, how do I change the default angle settings from radians to degrees?

By default, your handheld's angle settings are in radian mode. If you want the default angle setting to be changed to degrees, please follow these steps:

• Using a TI-Nspire Family Handheld with Touchpad, press [doc]. Using a TI-Nspire Family Handheld with Clickpad, press [ctrl] [home] while in an open Document or in Scratchpad. Both procedures will take you to the next screen, and the procedures can also be used on any TI-Nspire Family of Desktop Software.
• Press the [7] key to select the option for 7: Settings and Status
• Press the [2] key to choose the option 2: Settings
• Press the [1] key to choose 1: General or press the [2] key for 2: Graphs and Geometry, depending upon which default angle settings you are looking to change.
• Press [tab] key once to select Angle, next press the [down] on the touchpad or clickpad and select Degree from the list and press [Enter]
• Press [tab] key until you get to the option "Make Default"
• Press [enter] on "Make Default". When the handheld asks if you want to save the new settings as default for new documents and Scratchpad, press [enter] to accept the changes.

Choosing "Make Default" will save the settings as your default settings for both scratchpad, and any new documents you create after that point.

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Cheers,
Sine Wave

Keys 1. I displays the following menu that lets you change the angle mode setting to DEG, RAD, and GRD without affecting the value in the display. DEG Sets degree mode. RAD Sets radian mode. GRD Sets gradient mode. The default setting is DEG. 2. = displays a menu that lets you specify the unit of an angle. º Specifies degrees. å Specifies minutes. æ Specifies seconds. r Specifies radians. g Specifies gradients. DMS Lets you convert an angle from decimal degrees to DMS notation. Notes · The examples on the transparency masters assume all default settings. · Angles with a trig function ignore the angle mode setting and display results in the original unit. Otherwise, angles (without a trig function) are converted and displayed according to the angle mode setting. · You enter decimal-degree angles the same as you would any other number. · For decimal/DMS conversions, the calculator interprets all values as degrees, regardless of the angle-unit setting. · DMS angles are entered as º (degrees), ´ (minutes), and ´´ (seconds You watched 2 videos that were 2:05 (2 hours and 5 minutes) and 1:46 (1 hour and 46 minutes) in length. How long did you watch videos? = Press Display 2 = ¡ å æ r g & - DEG < 2¡ DEG 5 =" ¡ å æ r g & - DEG <T 1 = < 2¡ 5å + 1¡ DEG 46=" << 2¡ 5å + 1¡ 46å ' 3.85 DEG =! % ¾DMS ---- DEG << Ans ¾ DMS ' 3¡ 51å 0æ DEG Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds to Decimal © 1999 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED TI-30X ùS: A Guide for Teachers 96 How much is 2/3 of an hour in hours, minutes, and seconds? = Press Display 2 N 3 2®3 DEG =! % ¾DMS ---- DEG << 2®3 ¾ DMS ' 0¡ 40å 0æ DEG

Before graphing deactivate the statistical plots: Press [2nd][Y=] to access the (STAT PLOTS) configuration screen and press [4:PlotsOff][ENTER]

To draw polar graph, make sure in MODE, POL is highlighted.
Make sure that the angle unit is set to RADIAN
If you want the angle unit to be in degrees you must open the WINDOW editor to modify the values of Theta max to a significant value: 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 360, otherwise the calculator will take the default value 6.28 (2*PI) in degrees

What is so surprising? The sine and cosine functions have ranges that span the closed interval [-1,1]. As to the tangent function, its range is the the whole real line.

This being said, you should keep in mind that there are three angle units: the degree, the radian, and the grad.
When you want to calculate the sine, cosine, or tangent of a number, that number is not just a number. It is an angle, and as an angle it has a unit.

For this reason a calculator generally has two angle units defined (degree and radian), and possibly the grad. BEFORE calculating any trigonometric function you must ascertain that the angle is in the correct unit.

Clearly, in the problem you are trying to solve angle values are given in degrees, but your calculator is configured to interpret angles values in radians.

To set the default angle unit to degree press [MODE] , then press down arrow twice to reach the line (radian, degree). Highlight the word degree and press [ENTER] to set the default angle unit to degree.

Unfortunately the TI 8xPLUS family of calculators does not have a status bar on screen to remind you of the modes, and if you do not remember to check the current unit you get errors (at least unexpected results).

However, there is a way to avoid the errors and that is to enter the unit explicitly after the angle value. To do that you press [2nd][APPS] to open the (ANGLE) menu list. Try it.

1. First item in list is the degree symbol, a raised 0
   
2. 2nd is the minute, an apostrophe
   
3. 3rd is radian, a raised r
   

By selecting the degree symbol and pressing [ENTER}, that symbol echoes on the screen just after the angle value. Closing the right parenthesis of the trigonometric function and pressing [ENTER] will give you the result in the correct unit of your choice. This can be done regardless of the default unit the calculator is configured for.

Hi,
The source of errors is most certainly due to the wrong schoice of angle unit (degree or radian). If the default angle unit set in your calculator is the degree, any value fed to the trigonometric functions (sin, cos, tan) is considered to be expressed in degrees. Consequently, if you calculate the arctangent ( tan^-1) of a value, the angle returend by that inverse trigonometric function is expressed implicitly in degrees.

Similarly if radian is the default angle unit in your calculator, any angle returned by an inverse trigonometric function (arcos, arcsin, arctan) is in radian.

Set the default angle unit as the one required by your problem at hand. This way, the angles returned will be in the right unit and you will not have a problem of interpretation.

Hope it helps.

Hello,
It may be due to the angle unit used. You can have angles in degrees, in radians, and in grads. You should set the default angle unit to waht you problem calls for.
To set degree as default SHIFT MODE 3
To set radians as default SHIFT MODE 4
To set grads as default SHIFT MODE 5

The values of angles calculated by the inverse trigonometric functions are in the default unit that is set . This may be the source of the wrong answers that you get.

Hope it helps.