Twilight Guild Forum

World of Warcraft => Rants => Topic started by: fiere redfern on November 29, 2007, 01:24:45 AM

Title: Bloody engineering labs >.<
Post by: fiere redfern on November 29, 2007, 01:24:45 AM
So of course I'm assigned a lab where I need to find two variables within the same equation, leaving me no choice but to plot the data points and find the slope and y-intercept (which are also the two variables I need to find) for two different data sets.

Two problems with that:

- MATLAB doesn't have a find slope command (well, it does, but polyfit doesn't work for an exponential function >.<) and I can't use fixed-point variables because that makes integers out of everything and most of my data is "point blahblahblah"

- there is no way to find the y-intercept for both sets of data at once without physically looking at the data sheet. One's 0.0007 and the other 0.0009. Which means I can't just short-cut and use the function itself to determine the other variable without tweaking the code each time - and the program needs to do everything at once.

ARGGGGGGGHHHH! (insert :one_eye_ghost: here >.<)

Wish Dunkin Donuts wasn't so far away... I could use a coffee break  >:(
Title: Re: Bloody engineering labs >.<
Post by: Melonni on November 29, 2007, 01:51:29 AM
O_O I feel dumb now.

I hope you figure it out and feel better!
Title: Re: Bloody engineering labs >.<
Post by: Arcdelad on November 29, 2007, 04:25:23 AM
just play some ping pong on your TI 85 calculator for a while...helps clear the mind in those tests :)
Title: Re: Bloody engineering labs >.<
Post by: Drygioni on November 29, 2007, 07:57:49 AM
I feel for ya Fi, Took me forever to lvl up to 375 Engineering ;D
Title: Re: Bloody engineering labs >.<
Post by: Kothnok on November 29, 2007, 09:45:03 AM
QuoteI can't use fixed-point variables because that makes integers out of everything and most of my data is "point blahblahblah"

Shift your numbers by 1,000,000 (add/sub zeros for how precise your floating point values need to be).
Use the algorithm that needs everything as fixed point integers.
Shift the answer back 1,000,000 (or whatever you needed) so that it's now floating point again.

Of course, the point of the exercise is to play "connect the dots" and once you've graphed it, figure out the equation based on what you've graphed.  Back in my day... oh nevermind, no one wants to hear about a time before graphing calculators solved your homework for you. :P