Which graphic calculator?

My teachers suggested that we get Graphics calculators and whilst I know that they're not necessary, it does seem like they could be useful in FP2 and I have got scholarship money that I can spend on it.

I wouldn't have thought that I needed a particularly fancy model and I don't want to spend more money than necessary so the Casio 9750GII looked like a good choice, but it apparently doesn't have a natural display (it doesn't show surds and fractions etc) which I really don't like. On the other hand, the rest of the graphic calculators are very expensive (>£100) and have fancy features I don't need like a colour screen. Is there something in between?

I think your teachers have given you very poor advice. Don't waste your scholarship money unless it can only be spent on a graphical calculator.

I think your teachers have given you very poor advice. Don't waste your scholarship money unless it can only be spent on a graphical calculator.

But in our FP2 textbook there are some questions which ask you to sketch some complex functions which you definitely could work out but it would take some time, which isn't really what you want in an exam?

The questions in your textbook are irrelevant. You have a computer in front of you presumably? Bung the questions into WolframAlpha for free.

So you won't be asked to sketch a function like y²=x²(Ax-1) in the FP2 exam?

My teachers suggested that we get graphics calculators and whilst I know that they're not necessary, it does seem like they could be useful in FP2 and I have got scholarship money that I can spend on it so I can definitely easily afford one.

I wouldn't have thought that I needed a particularly fancy model and I don't want to spend more money than necessary so the Casio 9750GII looked like a good choice, but it apparently doesn't have a natural display (it doesn't show surds and fractions etc) which I really don't like. On the other hand, the rest of the graphic calculators are very expensive (>£100) and have fancy features I don't need like a colour screen. Is there something in between?

How will a graphical calculator help you there? You don't know the value of A. Are you just going to try various values?

I have the 9750GII, but there is an update that allows the calculator to use a natural display. I do find it really useful in FP2, so it can save time in lessons and frees.

the hard part is sketching it

That's a matter of opinion. I knew what it looked like instantly.

The question was to sketch that curve when it passes through a particular point. Given the point, working out the value of A is obviously really easy, the hard part is sketching it once you have A.



Really? I saw something like this but it was a kind of hack.

Well I'm really pleased for you but you're also a Maths teacher. I didn't know what it would look like instantly and I honestly don't know how I'd work that out without generating lots of points.

If you look back I offered to help. Perhaps you should wait to be taught the topic?

If I asked you to sketch $y = x^3$ I don't imagine you would need to reach for a calculator. This honestly isn't much harder.

How is it not much harder? y=x^3 is a standard equation. If there's a simple way of knowing how y^2=x^2(Ax-1) would look like, I'd be very interested in knowing because I genuinely don't...

Could you sketch $y=x^2(x-1)$? If so then you sketch this.

Well obviously that's not very difficult but you then have to root that. I don't see how you get from that graph to the actual one. I can't see any similarities.

If you watch my Powerpoint (second time I have offered) it will tell you. It is simple to step from y = f(x) to y^2 = f(x). In this case anything with a negative y value is ignored so you just have a single positive branch. Reflect this in the x axis. Finished.

I'd be very grateful to see the powerpoint - I didn't see your edit.