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Biology
 

 

 ICT IN BIOLOGY

TRANSECTS AND CALCULATORS

Using the TI 83 plus calculator to process the height profile

Press then select : Edit… to open a spread sheet.
Just like Excel or other spread sheets you enter the data in columns or lists L1, L2 etc. Type in your distance along the transect in L1 and the height change for each metre along the transect in L2.

Use the cursor to get to the top of L3. Press then and and select OPS (use the cursor to move one to the right). This opens up a menu of functions rather like in Excel.

Select 6:cumSum( This is the cumulative sum function.

Press and the function will appear at the bottom of the screen L3 = cumSum(

 

Press and then ). Press and you will see the spread sheet calculate the cumulative sum of all your samples. This is your height profile

You can store other data for abiotic factors (e.g. light, temperature) along the transect in subsequent columns.

Graphing your data in the calculator

To show the height profile plot a graph using STAT PLOT.

Press and . Open Plot 1 by pressing

Using the cursors and
Select ON
Select the line graph plot
In Xlist: Press and
In Ylist: Press and

Then to see the graph Press and select 9:ZoomStat

You should be able to see a scaled graph showing the height profile of your transect.

 
MOST IMPORTANT Storing your data in the calculator’s archive

If you do not do this your data will be lost. The next time you use a spread sheet the data in L1, L2 etc. will get compressed.

Archiving frees up RAM memory so that you can continue recording more data. Archiving data will remove it from the RAM memory but it will not stop it from being over-written when new data is recorded. It needs to be renamed.

To rename a list of data (e.g. L1)

  1. Select the list to be stored by pressing then then
  2. Open the LIST menu by pressing then LIST and select OPS using the cursor
     
  3. Descend the menu using the cursor to B: L press and type in a code name for the list. It must start with a letter so press the green key and chose a letter. Your list name can consist of one letter and four figures (try today’s date)

To archive or un-archive a list variable (L1) using a Memory Management editor:
  1. Press then MEM to display the MEMORY menu.
  2. Select 2:Mem Mgmt/Del... to display the MEMORY MANAGEMENT/DELETE menu.
  3. Select 4:List... to display the LIST menu.
  4. Press to archive L1. An asterisk (*) will appear to the left of L1 to indicate it is an archived variable.
    To unarchive a variable in this screen, put the cursor next to the archived variable and press . The asterisk will disappear.
  5. Press then QUIT to leave the LIST menu.

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© Paul Billiet 2007