From: twh18@isuvax.iastate.edu (Phoenix)
Subject: Cards for hp48SX?
Reply-To: twh18@isuvax.iastate.edu
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 18:32:36 GMT

	From what I read on the Educalc catalog, they have a
chemistry card which can do some equation balancing.  I was
wondering if anyone knows how good is it.  Like, can it
balancing the equation based on the reactants only and gives
you the products?  Can it do oxidation/reduction formula
blancing?  and what other good features does it have?
Thanks in advance.
	I also have something to say about use graphing calc's
on test.  Since most of my opinon are being expressed in the
last few posts.  I just want to give an example:
	I was Calclus BC class.  When we taught about apprximate
area under curve by using inscribe/circumscribe rectangles, trapzoids,
and simspon's rules, I thought I might as well to program it on
my TI-85 to help me a little on the test, also practce my prg skills.
(the main reason was that find the error for simpson's rule was 
kind of messy, taking the 4th derivatives is not that fun)
	Well, I started it 1 week before the test, by spending
average 3 horus on programing, by the 5th day, I finally completed
it so that when I enter the equation, and A,B(range), and N(how many
slices), it will give me everything from ins/cir rect, trap, and simpson
appoximations and it's errors, plus the acutally area done by TI-85's
FnInt mode.  I spent about 18-20 hours on the whole program (yeah, that's
because I have never programmed before, and don't even know BASIC),
while it took me no more than a hour to read each section in the text
book.  Finally, on the day of the test, there was only 4 probelms out
of like 30 quetsions needs to find the area under curve (not to mention
that find error of trap/simpson's rule was not even on the test).  
And all of them are not very complex, but I did them by use the programs
anyway.  Then, I use the extra time did the Bonus problem, and gone back
redo those 4 problems by hand to show some work.
	I can't say that 20 hours of programing time was wasted, since
I had gain insights of programming.  However, had I not had that program,
I could also done the test questions by hand, and do just as fine(but
it will take like 5-10 extra minuate, plus I can't be sure if I did it
right or not:).  During the programming, I had to keep look back at
the text book in order to get the algorthim right. So later, I even
rememberd all the formulas because of the extensive reference checkings.
	The reason taht some professor/teachers ban graphing calc's is 
probabely they are
jealoused about today's technology while back in their day they had
to do lots of memorization, carry a big log/trig table with them:)
But, I don't see  any point to do all those # cruching to find area
under curve when I have a graphing calc to do it and I know how to
do it with my hand.  After all, if I can do an indefinate integral
in 5 sec by calc and you can do it in 4 min by hand, which one is
more efficent in real lab works?  If those guys still want ban
calculators, they should ban the scientic one's in elmentary school
or secondary school. I had a guy in my algebra class who 
forgot "what's 3*7" on a test, and all these 12th graders in my speech
class who all need calc's to add 12 2 digit #'s (their speech grade
by the class).  Face it, even AP exams are going to allow grahing
calclators in 1994(though they are going to clear all the memory,
sucks!  what happend if I have a TI-81 which can't link w/ computer?
or I have a Ti-85 but don't have the Link-85, etc)
	By the way, one more examles for those guys who think Graphing
calc can "can grah a function very fast, thus gaing advantage on exam".
I was try to graph a function on one of my clalus test, which I try
to find the max point of the graph.  It took me a while to just type
the equation in and check them(since the TI doesn't have the equation
writer on HP, it's very easy to make a mistake).  It took another 5
min to do the zooming/range, etc.  I spent about 10 min on that problem,
and discoverd later that I could had it done in 3 min by take it's
2nd derviative.  I think you got the point.
			That's all.....
					
					Ming