Put the TABLE into ASK mode and stop re-typing x-values

The factory TABLE (2nd + graph) steps x by 1 each row and spits out y-values. Students treat it like a read-only printout. It's actually a query tool in disguise.

The toggle

1. Press 2nd + window to open TBLSET.
2. Find the row Indpnt: (short for "Independent variable").
3. Arrow-right to Ask and press enter.

Now open 2nd + graph and you'll see an empty table. Type any X value, press enter, and the calculator evaluates every Y1, Y2, Y3, … you stored and fills that row of the table.

Why this is useful

Once you have a function stored in Y1 from a regression, a word problem, or a homework step, Ask mode lets you evaluate it at arbitrary inputs without retyping the formula each time:

• Got a regression line y = 2.3x + 14 stored in Y1? Table + Ask lets you query x=7.5, x=100, x=-4 in three keystrokes each.
• Comparing f(x) in Y1 and its derivative approximation in Y2? Put both functions in, then type a single X — you see both values side-by-side on the same row.
• Debugging a complicated formula? Enter obvious x-values (0, 1, 10) and check the output matches your paper arithmetic.

Combining with Y-Vars

If you stored a function using a regression (STAT → CALC → LinReg + VARS → Y-VARS → Function), it goes into Y1 automatically. Table Ask then evaluates that regression at any x you care about.

Switching back

Indpnt: Auto restores the default +1 stepping behavior. The TblStart and ΔTbl fields drive that mode — they're ignored while Ask is on.

Gotcha

ASK mode only fills rows for x-values you type. If you leave and come back, the table keeps your old queries. Press del on any row to remove it, or use clear while the cursor is on an X cell to wipe just that entry.