Why the Casio fx-CG50 isn’t just for maths

Students who upgrade from a scientific calculator to the fx-CG50 graphic calculator when they start studying A-level maths will certainly notice the difference in what their device can do.

From the ability to produce 2D and 3D graphs, to specialist tools like Distribution and Recursion modes and SolveN, the fx-CG50 offers a lot of functionality that isn’t available on scientific handsets.

But what A-level maths students might not know is that the calculator could also help them with tasks that crop up in other subjects they might be studying. Let’s take a look at some examples.

Statistical analysis

One of the fx-CG50’s biggest strengths is its ability to perform statistical calculations and to present the data your students are working with in graph form. Statistical formulae and analysis of trends and patterns are important parts of several subjects other than maths, such as psychology, geography and economics.

Something students might be introduced to in A-level psychology, for example, is chi-squared testing, and how it can be used for purposes such as comparing observed and theoretical frequency distributions.

This is a topic they can investigate in Statistics mode on the fx-CG50, as demonstrated in this video available in our resources centre. The calculator allows you to list observed and expected values, calculate probabilities, visualise distributions and test for chi-squared.

It’s also possible to find critical and p-values for chi-squared contingency table tests, as shown in this video.

Another useful feature of the fx-CG50 is its ability to connect to a computer and import numerical data in CSV format. Information on how to do this is available here.

This means students working on projects that involve collecting and analysing statistics can transfer their data sets to the calculator, then use its full range of functionality to analyse the figures, plot distributions, spot patterns and make predictions.

Applications in the sciences

Lots of A-level maths students will also be studying sciences, and there are various possible applications of the fx-CG50 in these subjects. It can be particularly useful as a reference tool that helps them work more quickly and efficiently.

One feature that users might not be aware of is Physium, which is among a number of add-ins available to extend the functionality of the fx-CG50. Others include 3D Graphs, Geometry and Probability Simulation.

Physium is an application that lets students view the periodic table and choose particular elements within it to learn more about them. If they were to select phosphorus, for example, they would see that it’s a non-metallic element used in the production of match heads, which has the electron configuration [Ne]3s23p3.

Another exciting aspect of Physium is the section dedicated to fundamental physical constants. Students can use this not only to view various universal, electromagnetic, atomic, nuclear and physico-chemical constants, but also to store them as variables for use in subsequent calculations.

Students of physics could spend a lot of time working with equations and substituting various values into them. Those who are also studying maths and have experience with the fx-CG50 could find that their confidence with the calculator helps them work more quickly in physics as well.

It’s worth noting that some features of the fx-CG50 – including Physium – are switched off when the calculator is in exam mode, so they’re best viewed as study aids and reference points for revision, rather than tools to be used in exams.

Resources to explore the fx-CG50

If you’re interested in showing your students just how much they can do on the fx-CG50, there are plenty of resources available to help.

On the Casio Education website, you’ll find an extensive library of resources covering pretty much all of the calculator’s capabilities. That includes functionality in areas that aren’t unique to A-level maths, such as investigating statistical data sets and probability distributions.

We also recommend exploring what’s available on YouTube, both on the Casio Education channel and from other providers.

You can find videos covering the Physium app, potential applications of Distribution mode and various other exciting ways to put our most advanced calculator to effective use.