8/08
Practicing Mathcad
When you have been through the Tutorial, close it, and open a new blank Mathcad worksheet.
1. Type your names and today’s date at the top of the new worksheet.
2. Assign the variable time the value 6.2.
Assign the variable g the value –9.8.
Define distance to be 1/2gtime2.
Ask Mathcad to display the current value of distance.
3. Define j to be a range variable that goes from 1 to 12.
a) Define the subscripted variable popj to take on the value e0.45j. (Use “[” or the xn button from
the Matrix toolbar for the subscript. Mathcad recognizes e as the number 2.71828…)
b) Ask Mathcad to display the values of j and popj in side-by-side tables.
c) Ask Mathcad to draw a graph of popj vs. j.
d) Make the graph bigger by selecting it and clicking and dragging.
e) Now let’s change the format of the graph: Double-click inside the graph to bring up the
Format menu.
a. Change the graph so that it has 4 grid lines in each direction.
b. From the Traces menu, make Trace 1 (our graph) blue. Set the Line to blank and
choose a Symbol.
c. Figure out how to give your graph a title and display it.
d. Label the x-axis Years and the y-axis Population.
e. Change from “Boxed” axes to “Crossed” Axes.
4. Somewhere farther down on your worksheet, define the variable (Greek letter alpha) to
have the value 78,000,000,000 (without the commas). Then ask Mathcad to display its
value. What happens? Describe it in text on your worksheet.
Now define the variable to have the value 0.00000375, and ask Mathcad to display its
value. Again, what happens?
5. Write a paragraph at the bottom of your worksheet describing what you have learned
today. If you run out of time, you and your lab partner may get together sometime before
the next class to complete this assignment.
6. Add the pledge. Print your worksheet and turn it in.