Graphing Calculator Activities

Although graphing calculators are commonly used to plot graphs and solve complex math problems, that is not all they are confined to. In fact, with today's calculator technology, they've become incredibly versatile, allowing users to play casino games one minute and log data from an accelerometer another minute.

As said above, most graphing calculators are used for nothing more than automating complex and frequently used calculations which enables the user to plug in values and solve problems at the press of a few buttons. Ultimately, this condenses the time it would've taken for the user to figure out the calculation long-hand, which in many instances is more of a tedious process than a beneficial one.

Extending from this is the fact that many graphing calculators can be attached to devices like thermometers, pH gauges, weather instruments, decibel and light meters, accelerometers, and other sensors to go from simply a tool to solve equations to a tool that logs data. The benefit of this is in the same vein as that of automating complex and frequently used calculators. It saves the user a lot of the busy work it takes to manually measure and record by hand things like pH levels and temperatures, which ultimately satiates today's huamn need for instant gratification.

Getting away from rote mathematical calculations, graphing calculators can also offer users fun and games! Because of the highly programmable nature of these calculators, many user-created games have been made free to the public that are compatible with most graphing calculators. In fact, you can get a blast from the past with downloading and playing games such as Frogger, Snake, and Asteroids. Not a fan of arcade games? That's okay! With over 3,000 publicly available calculator games, it's highly likely you'll find a game of your choice. Just do a little digging around on the Internet and you can probably find any game you like.

With today's technology, graphing calculators don't have to be confined to solving purely algebraic calculations. As I've shown you, with the ability to use it in lab settings on one hand while being able to play Frogger on the other, there are almost no bounds to what graphing calculators can do today.