Douglas' questions about Laplace Transforms

L} \left\{ -2t + 11 + H(t - 4) \left( 8t^2 - 32t \right) \right\} \\ s \, F(s) - f(0) &= \mathcal{L} \left\{ -2t + 11 \right\} + \mathcal{L} \left\{ 8 \left( t - 4 \right) ^2 + 32 \left( t - 4 \right) \right\} \\ s \, F(s) - 11 &= - \frac{2}{s^2} + \frac{11}{s
  • #1
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Hi, I got 2 questions extremely close to the solution provided by weblearn, I was wondering you could explain if my answers were right but in the wrong syntax or where I made a mistake (whenever you have the time).

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Question 1/
d^2y/dx^2 + 7*dy/dx + 12*y = -36H(t-2) , y(0) = 0 y'(0) = 0

Find y(t)?

My answer was y(t) = -1/3 - 9*exp(-4*t) + 12exp(-3*t)

The solution was y(t) = -3H(t-2) [ 1 - 4exp(-3*(t-2)) + 3exp(-4*(t-2))

Partway through my working out I rearranged the equation to get Y(s) = -36/ s*(s^2 + 7s + 12)
Which I solved using partial fractions. A= -1/3 B=-9 C= 12

Where does the shift come in and how can I recognise it? The Heaviside on the right hand side was only to a constant, 36 not a function f(t)?

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Question 2/

Inverse Laplace of 2(s^2 +48s -36) / s( s^2 - 36) e^-2s

The answer I got was 2 + 16sinh(6(t-2)) H(t-2)

The solution on weblearn was 2H(t-2)( 1 + 8sinh( 6(t-2)) )

- In weblearn does the Heaviside component always need to be written at the front of the answer to be registered?
- Am I right by thinking both answers are the same just with 2 taken as a factor? Does weblearn only register a single format for the answer?

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Question 3/

L[ f(t) = -2t + 11 + H(t-4) ( 8t^2 - 32t) ]

My answer with the exact syntax used -
(-2/s^2) + (11/s) + (exp(-4*s) * ((16/s^3) - (32/s^2) ) )

Weblearn Solution:
-2/s^2 + 11/s + [ 16/s^3 + 32/s^2 ] * e^-4s

The only difference I can see is the + sign in front of the last term and that e^-4s is written at the end and not the front.

- Why is it positive and not negative?
- Will weblearn register the answer correctly if the exponent is in front or does it need to be at the end of the brackets?

- Are square brackets registered on weblearn?
____________________________________________________________________________

I know most of these questions are about the syntax but it's better to clarify now rather than towards the end of semester. It's mostly because electronic marking can be a bit finicky sometimes.

Thanks in advance

Douglas

1.
$\displaystyle \begin{align*} y''(t) + 7y'(t) + 12y(t) &= -36H(t - 2) \textrm{ with } y(0) = 0, y'(0) = 0 \\ \mathcal{L} \left\{ y''(t) + 7y'(t) + 12y(t) \right\} &= \mathcal{L} \left\{ -36H(t-2) \right\} \\ s^2\,Y(s) + s\,y(0) + y'(0) + 7 \left[ s\,Y(s) - y(0) \right] + 12Y(s) &= -\frac{36}{s}e^{-2s} \\ s^2\,Y(s) + 7s\,Y(s) + 12Y(s) &= -\frac{36}{s}e^{-2s} \\ Y(s) \left( s^2 + 7s + 12 \right) &= -\frac{36}{s}e^{-2s} \\ Y(s) \left( s + 3 \right) \left( s + 4 \right) &= -\frac{36}{s} e^{-2s} \\ Y(s) &= -\frac{36}{s \left( s + 3 \right) \left( s + 4 \right) } e^{-2s} \end{align*}$

So now applying partial fractions

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \frac{A}{s} + \frac{B}{s + 3} + \frac{C}{s + 4} &\equiv \frac{36}{s \left( s + 3 \right) \left( s + 4 \right) } \\ \frac{A \left( s + 3 \right) \left( s + 4 \right) + B\,s \left( s + 4 \right) + C \, s \left( s + 3 \right) }{s \left( s + 3 \right) \left( s + 4 \right) } &\equiv \frac{36}{s \left( s + 3 \right) \left( s + 4 \right) } \\ A \left( s + 3 \right) \left( s + 4 \right) + B \, s \left( s + 4 \right) + C\,s \left( s + 3 \right) &\equiv 36 \end{align*}$

Let $\displaystyle \begin{align*} s = 0 \end{align*}$ to find $\displaystyle \begin{align*} 12A = 36 \implies A = 3 \end{align*}$. Let $\displaystyle \begin{align*} s = -3 \end{align*}$ to find $\displaystyle \begin{align*} -3B = 36 \implies B = -12 \end{align*}$. Let $\displaystyle \begin{align*} s = -4 \end{align*}$ to find $\displaystyle \begin{align*} 4C = 36 \implies C = 9 \end{align*}$. So that means $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \frac{36}{s \left( s + 3 \right) \left( s + 4 \right) } \equiv \frac{3}{s} - \frac{12}{s + 3} + \frac{9}{s + 4} \end{align*}$. So for starters, a mistake is that you have 1/3 as one of the coefficients instead of 3. Anyway...

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} Y(s) &= -\frac{36}{s \left( s + 3 \right) \left( s + 4 \right) } e^{-2s} \\ Y(s) &= \left( -\frac{3}{s} + \frac{12}{s + 3} - \frac{9}{s + 4} \right) \, e^{-2s} \end{align*}$

and now we apply the rule $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \mathcal{L}^{-1} \left\{ e^{-a\,s} \, F(s) \right\} = f(t-a)\,H(t-a) \end{align*}$. Notice that $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \mathcal{L}^{-1} \left\{ -\frac{3}{s} + \frac{12}{s + 3} - \frac{9}{s + 4} \right\} = -3 + 12e^{-3t} - 9e^{-4t} \end{align*}$, so that means

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} Y(s) &= \left( -\frac{3}{s} + \frac{12}{s + 3} - \frac{9}{s + 4} \right) \, e^{-2s} \\ y(t) &= \mathcal{L}^{-1} \left\{ \left( -\frac{3}{s} + \frac{12}{s + 3} - \frac{9}{s + 4} \right) \, e^{-2s} \right\} \\ y(t) &= \left[ -3 + 12e^{-3 \left( t - 2 \right) } - 9 e^{-4 \left( t - 2 \right) } \right] \, H(t - 2) \end{align*}$2. If you had entered:

( 2 + 16sinh(6(t-2)) ) H(t-2)

you would have gotten the answer correct. Yes, what the solution gives is the same as this with a factor of 2 taken out.3. Starting with $\displaystyle \begin{align*} 8t^2 - 32t &= 8 \left( t^2 - 4t \right) \end{align*}$, let $\displaystyle \begin{align*} u = t - 4 \implies t = u + 4 \end{align*}$, then we have

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} 8 \left( t^2 - 4t \right) &= 8 \left[ \left( u + 4 \right) ^2 - 4 \left( u + 4 \right) \right] \\ &= 8 \left( u^2 + 8u + 16 - 4u - 16 \right) \\ &= 8 \left( u^2 + 4u \right) \\ &= 8 \left[ \left( t - 4 \right) ^2 + 4 \left( t - 4 \right) \right] \end{align*}$

This is why there is a + instead of a - where your answer differ. Continuing we have...

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \mathcal{L} \left\{ -2t + 11 + H(t - 4) \, \left( 8t^2 - 32t \right) \right\} &= \mathcal{L} \left\{ -2t + 11 + 8H(t-4) \, \left[ \left( t - 4 \right) ^2 + 4 \left( t - 4 \right) \right] \right\} \\ &= -\frac{2}{s^2} + \frac{11}{s} + 8e^{-4s} \, \mathcal{L} \left\{ t^2 + 4t \right\} \\ &= -\frac{2}{s^2} + \frac{11}{s} + 8e^{-4s} \left( \frac{2}{s^3} + \frac{4}{s^2} \right) \end{align*}$

To answer your other question, Weblearn uses the same syntax as Maple, and all brackets (even nested brackets) should be entered as round brackets.
 
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  • #2


So in your case, your final answer could have been entered into Weblearn as:

(-2/s^2) + (11/s) + (8*exp(-4*s)) * ( (2/s^3) + (4/s^2) )

I hope that helps.

 

FAQ: Douglas' questions about Laplace Transforms

What are Laplace Transforms?

Laplace Transforms are mathematical tools used to convert a function of time into a function of complex frequency. They are commonly used in engineering and physics to solve differential equations.

How are Laplace Transforms calculated?

Laplace Transforms are calculated using an integral formula. The function is multiplied by an exponential term and integrated with respect to time, from 0 to infinity. This results in the transformed function, which can then be manipulated algebraically.

What are the advantages of using Laplace Transforms?

Laplace Transforms can simplify complex differential equations into algebraic equations, making them easier to solve. They also have properties that make them useful for analyzing systems with multiple inputs and outputs, and for finding solutions to initial value problems.

What are the applications of Laplace Transforms?

Laplace Transforms are commonly used in control systems, signal processing, and circuit analysis. They are also used in physics to study the behavior of mechanical and electrical systems.

Are there any limitations to using Laplace Transforms?

While Laplace Transforms can simplify complex equations, they can also introduce additional complexity in certain cases. They are also limited in their ability to handle discontinuous or non-smooth functions. Additionally, they may not always provide a physical interpretation of the solution to a problem, as they involve complex numbers.

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