GENERAL PHYSICS I (PHY 2020)
Prince George's Community College
Fall 2025
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CALCULATOR RECOMMENDATIONS
The major manufacturers of scientific calculators today are Texas Instruments and Hewlett-Packard.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments calculators are very popular with today's college students.- A popular choice among PGCC students is the Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus. The TI-84 Plus comes in several different versions, including one that runs the popular Python programming language.
- A high-end Texas Instruments calculator is the TI-Nspire CX CAS.
- A very nice budget calculator (under $10) is the Texas Instruments TI 30XIIS. This is the model used by students in Purdue University's Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering program.
Hewlett-Packard
Dr. Simpson's preferred calculators are made by Hewlett-Packard (HP). In the 1980s, Hewlett-Packard made the finest scientific calculators every produced. Even today, they are considered the Rolls Royce of calculators. Some of these HP calculators are still available today, either as used units, or as new “clones” of the originals. The best models ever made were the HP-15C (1982-89) and the HP-42S (1988-95).Hewlett-Packard calculators use a unique entry mode called Reverse Polish Notation (RPN), which you can learn from the calculator manuals. (Here, for example.) Once you learn how to use RPN, you will probably never want to go back to an “algebraic” calculator like Texas Instruments ever again.
- You can find used original HP calculators on places like eBay.
- A Swiss company called Swiss Micros makes excellent clones of classic Hewlett-Packard calculators, particularly the DM32, DM42 and DM15L.
- The original HP-15C high-end scientific calculator was made from 1982 to 1989. HP re-released the HP-15C as a “Limited Edition” in 2011, and as an updated “Collector's Edition” in 2023. The Collector's Edition is still available.
- Hewlett-Packard continues to make one graphing calculator, the HP Prime.
- The popular HP-42S is available as an “app” on many platforms as a project called Free42. (The author of Free42 has just released an enhanced HP-42S calculator app called Plus42 on the same Web site.)
Calculator Manuals
- TI-84 Plus
- TI-Nspire CX CAS
- TI 30XIIS
- HP 32S II (and Swiss Micros DM32)
- HP 15C (and Swiss Micros DM15L)
- HP 42S (and Swiss Micros DM42)
Contact Information
Dr. David G. Simpson: