Solving Your Own Equations (Solve) - HP 17BIIPLUS Owner's Manual

! If the current menu has a list (SUM, CFLO, or Solver), pressing
@c clears the values in the list.
To see what value is currently stored in a variable, press
label.

Solving Your Own Equations (SOLVE)

This chapter has introduced some of the built-in menus the calculator
offers. But if the solution to a problem is not built into hp 17bII+ , you
can turn to the most versatile feature of all: the Equation Solver. Here
you define your own solution in terms of an equation. The Solver then
creates a menu to go with your equation, which you can use over and
over again, just like the other menus in the calculator.
The Solver is covered in chapter 12, but here is an introductory example.
Because equations usually use letters of the alphabet, this section also
explains how to type and edit letters and other characters that aren't on
the keyboard.
Example:Using the Solver. Suppose you frequently buy carpet and
must calculate how much it will cost. The price is quoted to you per
square yard. Regardless of how you do the calculation (even if you do it
longhand), you are using an equation.
Price per
square yard
Converts square feet to square yards
To type this equation into the Solver, use the ALPHA menu.
Length (feet)
Width (feet)
× ×
P/YD L W
=
COST
9
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1: Getting Started
menu
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