Technical Support
Common Pitfalls of the CBLGlossary of Menus for ChemBio and Physics Programs
Loading Programs on the TI Calculators
- Always make sure that the CBL interface and calculator are connected. Sometimes the cord appears to be pushed in all the way but it is not.
- We have not found any way to backtrack, so remind your students to be careful about how they proceed. If all else fails, they will have to start over with the PHYSICS program.
- To get out of a screen, try hitting ENTER, if this does not work, try quit. To quit, hit 2ND and then MODE (QUIT is in yellow above this button) or hit ON and choose QUIT.
- Both the CBL interface and the calculator will shut themselves down after a period of time. They are only sleeping and your data is not lost. To bring them back hit the ON keys. Do NOT hit the ENTER key on the calculator as you may end up on a different screen.
- Make sure that before the students attempt Advanced Analysis they are OUT of the PHYSICS or CHEMBIO programs.
- If your time between samples is too small , you will not be allowed the option of a live graph. Some situations, however, require smaller sample sizes. Also, we have found the maximum number of samples on the TI-83 is 512.
- If you run into any other problems, refer to your owner's manuals and/or technical support.
GRAPH- Displays a graph of your data on the screen.
TRACE- Puts the cursor on the graph. Using the arrows allows you to move along the graph and displays the x and y values at the bottom of the screen. Hit CLEAR to cancel this function.
STAT- Produces a menu for many different mathematical options for the graph. This is where you can change the appearance of your graph (type of graph, line vs. dots, etc.) See menu descriptions below.
ZOOM- Produces a menu with options for different views of the graph. See menu descriptions below.
ZBox- Allows you to draw a box around a specific site on your graph which it will then zoom in on. (See instructions in Advanced Analysis section of this guide.)
Zoom In- Allows you to place your cursor in an area and the calculator will then zoom in , repeatedly if you so choose, around the area of the graph where the the cursor is located. (See instructions in Advanced Analysis section of this guide.)
Zoom Out- Allows you to place your cursor in an area and the calculator will then zoom out , repeatedly if you so choose, around the area of the graph where the the cursor is located. (See instructions in Advanced Analysis section of this guide.) *Note- While there are other zoom options on this menu, we felt these were the most useful. See your calculator manual for what the other functions will do.
Zoom Memory Menu: (Accessed by hitting ZOOM and arrowing to the right)
ZPrevious- Allows you to return to the last graph you looked at.
ZoomStore- Allows you to store 1 graph for later recall. ZoomRcl- Allows you to recall 1 graph that you stored.
SetFactors- Allows you to change how much the calculator will zoom in or zoom out on your graph.
Stat Plots Menu: (Accessed by hitting the STAT PLOT button- hit 2ND and Y= button) To change the appearance of the graph.
Glossary of Menus for ChemBio and Physics Programs
Set up Probes- This menu item will allow you to tell the calculator how many and what types of probes are connected to the CBL. For some probes, it may also allow you to calibrate the probes.
Collect Data- This menu item will give you options as to how the you will see the data and how it is collected.
View Graph- This menu item will show you a graph of the data you have collected.
Retrieve Data- This menu item will allow you to retrieve data from the CBL if the CBL interface was used to collect data without the calculator attached.
Options (Physics only)- This menu item has miscellaneous functions for graphical analysis and data collection.
Quit- This menu item is used to exit the PHYSICS program. You MUST quit the PHYSICS program before beginning advanced analysis of the graph.
Select Probe Menu (for Physics): (Probes must be connected to the CBL interface to be selected)
Data Collection Menu:
Physics Options Menu:
Timing Table and Probes with Special Instructions
These are just some sample numbers you can use as a start . The best way to do this is to figure out how long you want your experiment to run, and then adjust how often you take data (time between samples) and how many data points you need (number of samples) accordingly. You are limited by 512 samples and a total experiment time of 5 minutes. Sample numbers for selected probes
Voltage Light Temperature Motion Detector Accelerometer Force Microphone Pressure Magnetic Field Thermocouple
The probes mentioned here are those which require additional steps or more information before data can be collected.
Voltage (TI) Probe- Asks for Calibration after you have selected this probe. Select Use Stored and hit ENTER.
Motion Detector- The ULI version of this probe requires a red adaptor to fit the CBL interface in the sonic port. With a live graph, you will not get velocity or acceleration data or graphs. If you don't request a live graph, a menu will appear giving you the option of looking at a distance vs. time graph, velocity vs. time graph or the acceleration vs. time graph. Time is usually stored in L1, distance in L4, velocity in L5 and acceleration in L6.
Force Probe- The ULI version of this probe requires a red adaptor to fit the CBL interface. You will need to identify the type of force probe after you have selected force probe. Asks for calibration. We suggest manual calibration as this is more accurate and the force probes tend to lose their calibration quite frequently. You can easily calibrate by hanging known masses from the probe. Note that force can be positive or negative so adjust your live graph Ymin and Ymax.
Accelerometer- Requires an adaptor to fit the CBL interface. You will need to identify the type of accelerometer (low-g or 25-g). It will ask for calibration, select Use Stored and hit ENTER. Note that acceleration is measured in g's (not m/s2) and that the values can be positive or negative.
Pressure- Requires an adaptor to fit the CBL interface. Asks for calibration, select Use Stored and hit ENTER. The calculator will then ask which units you would like for pressure. As good physicists, you will select kPa and hit ENTER.
Getting Started with the TI-83 Plus/TI-83
©Judy Day, 2000The TI-83 Plus and TI-83 provide a simple yet powerful tool for data collection and analysis for students and teachers of the biological and physical sciences. Included in this pamphlet are steps to introduce the beginner to the calculator. Directions are given on setting calculator defaults, clearing lists, entering data into lists, viewing graphs, analyzing graphs with regression analysis, and saving data to a program or a group.
All of these steps are basics for the beginning user to learn for use of the calculator without the TI-CBL (Calculator Based Laboratory). Programs and applications used for data collection with the TI-CBL will perform many of these steps for you, but occasionally, you will still need to refer to the above steps for analysis or troubleshooting.
Before beginning to use the TI-83 Plus or the TI-83 for analyzing data or collecting data with the TI-CBL, there are a few simple steps used to clear leftovers from the calculator. There are five main areas that need to be checked and, if necessary, changed to ensure all calculators will display the same results. These are the "MODE", the "y=" menu, "WINDOW", "FORMAT", and "STAT PLOT". This is especially important if the calculators are used in multiple classrooms or content areas.
This key controls the viewing rectangle of the function’s graph. It actually controls the domain over which an equation will be graphed. The window can be set manually or by using a built-in, programmed setting. To obtain the window shown below, press ZOOM and select 6:ZStandard. This produces the default window setting, which can be viewed by pressing WINDOW.
To reach the FORMAT screen, first notice that FORMAT is written in yellow above the WINDOW key, to select FORMAT, press the 2nd key and then WINDOW. This will select FORMAT. Set the defaults to the left side of the screen as shown in the screen shot at the right. Use the down arrow key, then arrow left to the default, and press ENTER to choose.
To reach the STAT PLOT screen, press the 2nd key and then press Y=. The STAT PLOT screen below will be displayed. This menu controls the plotting of data that has been entered into the calculator’s statistical lists. To prevent the display of unwanted data, it is important that all of your statistical plots are turned OFF. To accomplish this, select 4:PlotsOff and press ENTER. This will turn off all plots and paste the message "PlotsOff" on your Home Screen. Press ENTER. "Done" will now appear on your Home Screen.
There are three ways to clear lists of data on the TI-83 Plus and TI-83.
1. The fastest way to clear all the lists of data is to press 2nd and the "+" key (MEM). This will give the MEMORY screen. Select 4:ClrAllLists. On the Home Screen, the message "ClrAllLists" will be displayed. Press ENTER to complete the selection and "DONE" will be displayed.
2. Another method to clear lists uses the STAT menu. First press STAT. Select 4:Clr List or arrow down to 4 and press ENTER. "ClrList" will now be pasted on the Home Screen. Press 2nd then 1 to display L1, press the comma key, then 2nd and 2 for L2. Continue adding all six lists, separating each by a comma. When all lists have been added, press ENTER. The designated lists are now cleared. The steps and Home Screen commands are shown on the following screens.
3. The third way of clearing existing data involves entering the STAT menu. Press STAT. Select 1:Edit. If there is any existing data in any of the lists, arrow up to the top of the list where the L1, L2, etc. are listed. The column heading should be highlighted, as shown in the first screen shown below. Press CLEAR and ENTER. The cursor will move to the first entry of the designated list. All previous entries for that list should now be deleted. Continue until all lists are cleared.
(Note: Pressing DELete instead of CLEAR will delete the list, not just the entry. Should this happen: press STAT, select 5:SetUpEditor. This will paste the command "SetUpEditor" on the Home Screen. Press ENTER once more to execute this command. Pressing STAT and selecting 1:Edit will verify that lists L1 through L6 now appear in order.)
- Enter data into lists.
To enter data into lists, select the STAT key and select 1:Edit. This will give you the screen with the actual lists (L1, L2, L3, etc). Place the cursor on the blank line under L1. The lower screen will tell you that is the first data position for L1. Type in the first data value and press ENTER. As you type, the numbers appear on the lower screen, after pressing ENTER, the value appears in the list. Continue adding the values until complete. To enter data in L2, right arrow to L2. Type in the corresponding values in L2 for L1.
2. Entering Formulas for List Calculations:
The calculator can be used to solve formulas with the values in other lists. To enter the formula, place the cursor on top of an empty list (in the picture — L3), and then type in the formula. Example: to find half of each value in L2, type L2, divide (¸ ) by "2". Press ENTER. As you type in the equation, it will appear across the bottom. After pressing ENTER the list L3 will fill with the answer to the equation or half of each value of L2.
3. Naming Lists and Copying Data:
Lists can be named on the TI-83 Plus and TI-83 to identify the data. To name a list, position the cursor on top of the list number (L1, L2, etc.). Right arrow until a blank position appears. The "Alpha" lock will already be engaged as shown by the cursor with an "A". Type the name that you wish to give the list. It will appear at the bottom of the screen. Press "ENTER" to set the name for the list.
To transfer data from one list to another, position the cursor on top of the list that should receive the data. Enter the list location of the data to be moved (L1, L2, L3, etc). Press ENTER. The data will be copied into the new location and the cursor will be positioned on the first data value.
Once data has been entered into the lists, the calculator must receive directions as to which lists of data to graph and what type of graph should be used. Graphs can be made for scatter plots; xyLine or connected line, histogram, modified box plot, regular box plot, and normal probability plot.
1. Graphing Two-Variable Data:
To turn on the graph and set the format for plot one, go into Stat Plot 1 by pressing 2nd, then y= (STAT PLOT) and selecting 1:Plot 1. Select On and press ENTER. Arrow down to the Type options on the second row and select the first option shown on the following screen, a scatter plot or the second option, a connected line graph. On the next row it is necessary to state the lists being used for both the x and y-variables. The calculator’s settings for this will be dependent upon what lists were used most recently. If other lists are needed, move the cursor to the Xlist or Ylist and type the correct list and press ENTER. On the last row there are 3 choices of marks for the data points. The first is a square point protector. If this is not selected, arrow down to the square and press ENTER. Since it is possible to have all 3 Stat Plots visible at the same time, there are 3 different marks that can be used to differentiate multiple plots.
2. Using ZoomStat and Setting Windows:
Before pressing GRAPH to display the graph, a window for this data needs to be set. The window can be set by using an automatic function of the calculator or by setting the window manually. To let the calculator set the window, press ZOOM and arrow down to 9:ZoomStat. This will autoscale the window values of the graph to fit the data. Pressing GRAPH produces the corresponding graph. Press TRACE to view the x and y-values.
Viewing Correlation Statistics and Regression Analysis Equations:
1. Turning on the Diagnostics for Correlation Statistics:
The correlation statistics for the equation and data of a regression analysis must be turned on before performing an analysis. First go to the CATALOG key (2nd, CATALOG). You will now be in the alpha key mode. Press "D" and then arrow down to "DiagnosticOn". Press "ENTER". The home screen appears with "DiagnosticOn", press "ENTER", "DONE" appears on the screen. Continue with the regression analysis.
2. Performing a Regression Analysis of Linear Data:
Press "STAT", right arrow to "CALC", select "4:LinReg(ax+b)". LinReg(ax+b) appears on the home screen. Enter the lists that contain the data to be analyzed (L1, L2, L3. Etc.). Be careful to place a comma between the lists.
(Note: L1 is the default for x and L2 is the default for y on the TI-83+ and TI-83. If these are the correct lists, they do not need to be manually entered.)
Type a comma at the end of the lists. To have the equation placed in the Y= line, first select VARS, then right arrow to Y-VARS, select 1:Function, then to past the equation into Y1, select 1:Y1. This pastes Y1 into the line to be solved.
Press "ENTER" to solve the equation with the data values. Press "GRAPH" to view the graph and see the regression line drawn onto the graph. To read the data points, press TRACE. To read the regression line values, press the up or down arrow, then use the left and right arrow keys.
Often it is convenient to save data to a program to keep it from being deleted or to make it easier to transmit to others. After saving data as a program, the data can be recalled easily by running the program.
- Press "PRGM" on the calculator. Arrow to the right to select "NEW". Press "ENTER" to select "1: Create New". At the prompt give the type in a name that will help you remember the data. Notice that the calculator is already in the alpha mode. If you wish to add a number to the name, press the "ALPHA" key and the cursor will return to the numeric mode.
a. Press "2nd" "RCL", then "2nd" "L1", and "ENTER", the numerical values for L1 will appear on the screen. Press "STO" then "2nd" and "L1", then "ENTER" , this will store the data in L1 for the program.
b. Press "2nd" " RCL", then "2nd" "L2", and "ENTER", the numerical values for L2 will appear on the screen. Press "STO" then"2nd" and "L2" then "ENTER", this will store the data in L1 for the program.
c. Press "2nd" and "Quit". This will return to the home screen and add the program to the program list.
3. If the data is in another set of lists, substitute those lists for L1 and L2 when typing in the information. To access this data in the future, just go to PRGM and select that program. The data will reappear in the appropriate lists overwriting any existing data.
Grouping data can be done on the TI-83+, not the TI-83. The advantage to using grouping is that this will save programs and lists together as a single topic in the "Flash Memory". This copies all selected programs or groups to the "Flash Memory". This means that they can be deleted from the active memory and still be stored for later use in the "Flash Memory". To access this information while stored, the group must be first ungrouped. Then the data will be loaded into the lists and the programs added to the program list.
1. Setting the Calculator for Grouping:
Select "2nd" and "MEM". Down arrow to 8:Group. Select by pressing ENTER or 8. Select 1:Create New to save data or lists as a group. If grouping, name the group for future reference.
2. Selecting Programs or Data to Group:
On the "GROUP" screen, select what will be saved (Programs, Lists, etc.). Once that decision has been made, a list of programs, lists, or other types will appear. Arrow down to the correct item(s) and press ENTER. A box will appear beside each selected item. When the selection is completed, right arrow to DONE, and press ENTER. The programs or lists that were grouped are now saved in the "Flash Memory" and can now be deleted from the active memory of the calculator.
3. Ungrouping to Use Programs or Data:
If you wish to ungroup data or programs to use them, select "2nd" and "MEM". Down arrow to 8:Group. Select by pressing ENTER or 8. On the following screen, right arrow to UNGROUP, and press ENTER. On the UNGROUP screen, select the group to ungroup and press ENTER or the number. The calculator will say what has been ungrouped and DONE when completed.
Loading Programs on the TI Calculator
Calculator programs are necessary to control data collection.
The ChemBio and other programs can be downloaded from the World Wide Web from Vernier Software. (http://www.vernier.com/cbl/progs.html or start with the Vernier Software home page).
A program entitled GraphLink is needed for the computer to transfer these programs to the calculator and it can be downloaded free at the TI website: (http://www.ti.com/calc/docs/calchome.htm) The cord needed to connect the calculator to the computer can be ordered from Texas Instruments (http://www.ti.com/calc/docs/link.htm).
