Apologia Science: CBL2

Good Will online has a CBL 2 listing just added. (This is a similar listing on eBay for $30.)  These devices require a TI 83/84 graphing calculator.  The CBL collects the data from sensors or probes and sends the data to the graphing calculator, usually to the STAT lists.  This listing has a thermometer, light probe, and voltage sensor.  So, the sensors alone are useful even if the CBL does not work.  Often, the owners are intimidated by the devices and they remain unused.  Here is a lab manual.  Here is a ‘quick start’ manual.

These devices are NOT hard to use.  There is a link cable which connects the CBL to the TI 83/84 calculator.  Follow these instructions.  Be sure to use the cable link to connect the CBL2 to the Ti 83/84.  You need a TI 83 PLUS or a TI 84 calculator.  The TI 83 plus has apps and can accommodate the Data Mate app.

Yes, I know I push technology for home-schoolers.  Really, I push cost-effective technology to home-schoolers.  The CBLs are good examples of affordable technology.

I went down to the basement classroom to trouble shoot the CBL 2.  (I just bought one from Good Will about two weeks ago.)  Here are excellent instructions to quick-start collecting data on the CBL2 with a graphing calculator.  I took photos.  I will talk to my kids and see if we can set up an afternoon to do some videos.

                                 My set is identical to the current CBL2 listing on Good Will.

                       I used the TI 84 to test the CBL.  You need a TI 83 plus with the Data Mate app.

                                            Here are the contents with the CBL 2 box.

  The probes included with theCBL2 connect to the TI 84 with Easy Data—preloaded on TI 84 with Easylink.

                         This is how the TI 83 calculator connects on a cradle with the CBL2.

                                  Hi    The probe is inserted into the lowest channel available.

                                 The cable link connects between the CBL2 and the Calc.

     You need a TI 83 plus and must download the DataMate app from the web with the USB connector shown on the right. Here is a link to the TI USB connecting cable for TI 83 calcs.

  The TI 84 had Data Mate preloaded.  I followed the directions to collect temperature data from the Quick Start guide from Mighty Grammarian.

                        See?  The data collected in stored in L1 (trials) and L2 (temperature data)