Oscillating Systems Modeling: Mathematics Component

Requirements

Getting Started

From a cooperating physics class, the following data and information will be received:

Ø Data derived from Stella models converted to a .txt file

§ Ideally, data from several different oscillating systems and, for each oscillating system, data sets representing one parameter changing while others are held constant.

§ This could be 30 or more data files that will require analysis.

Ø Lab reports from the physics classes that clearly describe how each data set was created to include model parameters for each data set.

Pre-requisite skills:

• Students will be familiar with basic trig functions.
• Students will have graphed trig functions and investigated the effects of the four coefficients on the basic trig graphs.
• Students will be able to take a mathematical model and construct a graph by appropriately using the coefficients of the model.
• Students will have basic computer applications skills (very basic knowledge of Excel, and simple copy and paste techniques)