Mass of a prism using a 'While loop'

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Samantha Cepeda
Samantha Cepeda on 13 Apr 2018
Edited: Tom Wenk on 16 Apr 2018
calculate the mass of a rectangular prism with a center hole as the hole diameter increases. the script must use a “while loop”. Allow the user to enter the following rectangular prism parameters (W=1m and L=2 m) starting hole diameter (r=0.05:0.1:<W/2) hole diameter increment size (step is 0.1) density of the prism material (2700 rho kg/m3) For each valid hole diameter, output the following values W, L, d (current value), rho, m (mass) how can do I print the d current value using vectors ?
  6 Comments
Samantha Cepeda
Samantha Cepeda on 13 Apr 2018
Thanks!! yes, you're right, the task itself is not clear and my mass formula is wrong. The task asks to use a 'while loop' and I don't know where would the while loop go? replacing the 'while loop' for 'for loop' the program just doesn't stop running. (when using 'while' diameter isn't bigger than the prism.) Thank you again!
Tom Wenk
Tom Wenk on 16 Apr 2018
Edited: Tom Wenk on 16 Apr 2018
Converting a for-loop into a while-loop is simple, you just do, what the for-loop does by hand:
1. create a variable d outside of the loop and initialize it with the starting value d0
2. think about the condition, when the while-loop should stop or continue to run. In your case this is d <= dMax. The loop continues as long as d is lower or equal dMax.
3. Increase variable d by your stepwidth dStepwidth inside the loop every iteration (I assume you forgot that step, when the loop doesn't end in your case).
d = d + dStepwidth;
Here is the while-loop version:
% mass of rectangular prism with a hole (cylinder) in it
clear, clc
rho = 2700;
W = 1; % Width of rectangular prism
L = 2; % Length of rectangular prism
d0 = 0.05; % Initial diameter of the hole (cylinder)
dStepwidth = 0.1; % Stepwidth of the diameter of the hole
dMax = W/2; % Maximum diameter of the hole
d = d0; % changing diameter
while d <= dMax
mass_prism = W^2 * L * rho;
mass_hole = (pi * (d/2).^2 * L) * rho;
mass_total = mass_prism - mass_hole;
fprintf ( 'd = %0.3f m \nW = %0.1f m \nL = %0.1f m \nRho = %0.3f kg/m^3 \nm = %0.5f kg\n\n',...
d, W, L, rho, mass_total);
d = d + dStepwidth;
end

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Answers (1)

Tom Wenk
Tom Wenk on 16 Apr 2018
Edited: Tom Wenk on 16 Apr 2018

I copied the solution I wrote as a comment here as an answer:

First of all, your calculation is wrong: mass = density * volume

As far as I understood the question, you should calculate the mass of a rectangular prism with a hole (cylinder) in it. To get the total mass you have to subtract the mass of the hole from the mass of the massive rectangular prism.

Although I have to admit, that the given task is very bad! It mixes diameter and radius of a hole/cylinder and the parameter for the height of the rectangular prism is missing.

If I assume, that it's the diameter, that is meant by "(r=0.05:0.1:<W/2)" and not the radius, and height = width (quadratic) for the prism, than the following code should do the trick:

% mass of rectangular prism with a hole (cylinder) in it
clear, clc
rho = 2700;
W = 1;              % Width of rectangular prism
L = 2;              % Length of rectangular prism
d0 = 0.05;          % Initial diameter of the hole (cylinder)
dStepwidth = 0.1;   % Stepwidth of the diameter of the hole
dMax = W/2;         % Maximum diameter of the hole
for d = d0 : dStepwidth : dMax
    mass_prism = W^2 * L * rho;
    mass_hole = (pi * (d/2).^2 * L) * rho;
    mass_total = mass_prism - mass_hole;
    printf ( 'd = %0.3f m \nW = %0.1f m \nL = %0.1f m \nRho = %0.3f kg/m^3 \nm = %0.5f kg\n\n',...
        d, W, L, rho, mass_total);
end 

Converting a for-loop into a while-loop is simple, you just do, what the for-loop does by hand:

1. create a variable d outside of the loop and initialize it with the starting value d0

2. think about the condition, when the while-loop should stop or continue to run. In your case this is d <= dMax. The loop continues as long as d is lower or equal dMax.

3. Increase variable d by your stepwidth dStepwidth inside the loop every iteration (I assume you forgot that step, when the loop doesn't end in your case).

d = d + dStepwidth;

Here is the while-loop version:

% mass of rectangular prism with a hole (cylinder) in it
clear, clc
rho = 2700;
W = 1;              % Width of rectangular prism
L = 2;              % Length of rectangular prism
d0 = 0.05;          % Initial diameter of the hole (cylinder)
dStepwidth = 0.1;   % Stepwidth of the diameter of the hole
dMax = W/2;         % Maximum diameter of the hole
d = d0;             % changing diameter              
while d <= dMax
    mass_prism = W^2 * L * rho;
    mass_hole = (pi * (d/2).^2 * L) * rho;
    mass_total = mass_prism - mass_hole;
    fprintf ( 'd = %0.3f m \nW = %0.1f m \nL = %0.1f m \nRho = %0.3f kg/m^3 \nm = %0.5f kg\n\n',...
        d, W, L, rho, mass_total);
    d = d + dStepwidth;
end

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