When you press
you see the CALCULATE menu shown below.
Options 1 and 2 are discussed in the
Using the CALCULATE menu - Part I and Options 3 and 4 are in
Using the CALCULATE menu - Part II. This lesson will focus on options 5:intersect. Suppose you have the
equation 4x + 5 = x - 1.
You can solve this
equation by algebraic methods or use option 5 from the CALCULATE menu. To use the calculator, enter 4x + 5 in Y1 and x - 2 in Y2 and then graph. To learn more about graphing on the calculator,
click here.
You can see that the two graphs cross each other. You want to find out where. By pressing
and choosing option 5, you will see the screen below.
The calculator is asking for the first curve. When you press
, there will be a prompt for the second curve.
By pressing
again, the calculator wants a guess.
You simply have to press
one more time to see the answer.
When you solve the
equation algebraically, you get the x–value that makes the
equation true. So the x–value on the screen is the answer you need as the
solution to the equation.
Notice that you did not have to do a lot of work to find the
point of
intersection in the last example. This is because there were only two "curves" (two things entered in the Y= screen) and one
point of intersection.
This changes as the graphs become more complicated. Look at the
equation 2x
2 - 7 = x - 1. By using Y1 = 2x
2 - 7 and Y2 = x - 1 and then graphing, you can see two points of intersection.
When you press
and choose option 5, the calculator will again prompt you for a first and second curve. As in the last example, there are only 2 "curves" on your screen, but there are also two points of intersection. You will need to tell the calculator which
point of
intersection you want it to find by using the arrow keys to move the cursor near a
point of intersection. Once you have placed the cursor near a
point of
intersection you can press
three times to find the point.
In order to find the other point, you must perform the process again. Press
and choose option 5. Move the cursor near the other
point of
intersection and press
three times.
The process gets more complicated when you have more than a Y1 and Y2 on your graph. In other words, when you have three or more curves on your screen, it becomes important to indicate the first and second curves when the calculator prompts you. If you need to solve a problem that involves three separate graphs, consult your calculator manual for additional instructions.