What is the best calculator for a civil engineer?
Answer:
The TI-89 is a very good choice and one of the most popular choices for students. I would recommend not buying one from an opened package or from Ebay because of the possibility of "case modding" where someone takes a cheaper TI-83 and puts it in the case for an 89.
Other good choices are HP's (use RPN on some of the higher quality which takes some getting used to) and the Casio FX9860 or 9850(which got me through engineering and I still use today).
Whatever calculator you get make sure that it has the ability to solve systems of equation, do trig functions in either radians or degrees, integrate and derive numerically (symbolically will be nice but costs more), solves systems of equations, and graphs.
I like the TI89. Defiantly helpful when it comes to solving equations, matrix analysis, derivatives, and integrals. I could never get used to HPs "backwards" logic :)
I just bought the Casio fx-115MS for the PE. Man I miss my TI.
If you are a student or have not taken the PE exams, check to see what models are allowed to be used in exams. Some of the more sophisticated ones may not be allowed.
Also consider if you might want something simple for quick calculations and use your computer more involved problems.
Some of the HP models can be set to work with either RPN or direct algebraic entry.
The 89 is cool because you can do hydraulics formulas on them since it has a solver. I don't like it for anything else. I actually have the 83, 85, 86 and 89. Of course I didn't buy them all but I've found that each have things that others don't. Some have better matrix stuff or interpolation solvers, etc. I don't know what a class pad is. Many actually think that HP calculators are better, but I'm not good at reverse Polish.
I would always recommend that a civil engineer use a chemical engineer equipped with an HP reverse polish notation calculator - I use an HP 48G, old school. (Don't trust civils with a calculator -- See New Orleans).
TI-89
Slide rule!
I'd have to go with the TI-89. It's pretty user friendly and does almost anything I've ever asked of it. I upgraded from a TI-86 and I'm glad I did.
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