- #1
SherlockOhms
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Homework Statement
So, as part of a numerical methods module that I'm taking I have to write a report and MATLAB program which deals with some sort of engineering/physics based problem. The report essentially just outlines and discusses the problem. It's the initial idea which I'm looking for a bit of help with. We've covered a number of different topics such as root-finding, interpolation, optimisation, approximation and differentiation. Our MATLAB code should make use of one of the preceding topics.
I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with a problem that I could solve. I'm either thinking up of something far too easy, and really doesn't require MATLAB at all, or something far too difficult that I wouldn't have the skill to implement it in MATLAB.
We've taken introductory courses in fluid mechanics/dynamics, thermodynamics ,some introductory structural mechanics, general mechanics, physics (both classical and electro-magnetics) as well as some linear algebra and calculus. The report is only to be 2 pages long and the project in general isn't to be in too much detail. Thus, I'd like to come up with a semi-challenging problem although nothing too ridiculous.
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
Some initial ideas I had were to write a program capable of solving the Colebrook-White equation, which can be used to find the friction factor of a pipe for flow with an Re of 4000 or more. However, I found out that this doesn't really require the use of any root finding method (Newton, fixed point iteration , bisection...) and so isn't suitable for this project.
Some other ideas I've had were to solve the hight at which the terminal velocity of a sky diver occurs taking into account drag, but this, once again, doesn't require MATLAB to solve.
Does anybody have any ideas, preferably involving some sort of root finding method?