I can have the calculator ask for the independent variable and it will produce the dependent one but when I try to have it ask for the dependent variable, it doesn't seem to work. Any suggestions?

I'm assuming what you want to happen is to be able to type in an arbitrary value in a the dependent variable column, and have it give you the corresponding independent variable. This is not possible through the Table menu, because the very definition of independent variables means that single dependent variables (in this case Y1) can correspond to an infinite number of independent variables (in this case X), while independent variables can only correspond to single dependent variables, at least in TIOS, where equations must be in the y=f(x) format.

You can still create a table that shows you what you want, however, by finding the inverse of the function you're trying to show in the table. Make a table based on that inverse, then set it to "Ask" only for the independent variable. The values in the Y1 column will essentially be the independent variables from your original equation.

Alternatively, you could graph straight lines like y=4 and use the intersect function.

Thanks, we did end up using the intersection method but I was trying to figure out what TI intended by having it ask for the dependent variable. Did they plan on it being used with the inverse of a function? And why can you set both the independent and dependent variables to ASK? Just trying to figure out how you would use these settings.

I don’t have a calculator in front of me right now, but I assume that it lets you Ask for both variables in order to build your own table, detached from any particular y= function. From there, you could do the general things with your table such as stat functions and such, just with your own data. Tables can be used with lists too, after all.