CHEE/CIVE/INDE 1331 Computing for Engineers

Lab #2 EXCEL Chapters 9-14

Due Date: September 23rd, 2015 at 10 am (hand in at start of class)
NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS ACCEPTED!
General Instructions

Make sure spreadsheets are clearly laid out and easy to understand
Clearly label all output values, and indicate answers to questions
Graphs should have titles and appropriate labels for their respective axes
Units for all values should be indicated

Question #1
Use Excels CONVERT function
to carry out each of the following unit conversions:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)

Convert 30 years to seconds.

Convert 200 feet to centimeters.
Convert 300 BTU to thermodynamic calories.
Convert 103F to Kelvins.
Convert 1.5 atmospheres to millimeters of mercury.
Convert a volumetric flow rate of 5000 gal/hr to liters/min.
Convert a velocity of 30.2 m/s to mi/hr.
Convert a pressure 15 N/cm2 to lbf/ft2
Convert a volumetric flow rate of 0.012 m3/sec to cm3/hr.
Convert a density of 2.52 lbm/ft3 to kg/m3.

Show the formulas used for each conversion in your submitted spreadsheet.
Question #2
Given the following equation:
() = 3 12 + 5
a) Prepare an Excel spreadsheet which tabulates f(x) over the interval 0 x 5 (in 0.2
increments). Plot the data as an x-y graph, and determine the real roots of the equation
on this interval.
b) Compute one of the real roots of f(x) on the interval 3.0 x 3.6, using the NewtonRaphson method. Do the calculations manually, using = 0.0001 as your stopping
criteria.
c) Confirm that you have solved for the real roots in b) correctly by using Goal Seek in
Excel.

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Question #3
Solve the following problem using Goal Seek.
a) High fluid velocities in pipes can cause high pressure losses due to friction. Therefore, to
minimize pressure loss, fluid velocities in water transport pipes are often limited to 3 m/s
or less. With this in mind, a design engineer needs to provide a housing complex with
0.8 m3/s of water. What pipe diameter should be used to keep the water velocity at 3
m/s?
Question #4
Solution Using Solver, With Constraints and Non-Linear
a) Determine the molar volume V of ammonia at 250 C and 1200 kPa by using:
i.
The Ideal Gas Equation:
PV = RT
ii.

The Soave-Redlich-Kwong (SRK) equation and Excels Solver:

( + )

Here:
, a, and b are the SRK coefficients, defined by:
( )2
= 0.42747

= 0.08664

= [1 + (1 )]
= 0.48508 + 1.55171 0.15612

where P is the absolute pressure (1200 kPa), Pc is the critical pressure of the gas (11,280
kPa for ammonia), T is the absolute temperature (250C), Tc is the critical temperature of
the gas (405.5K for ammonia), w is the Pitzer acentric factor for the gas (0.250 for
ammonia), V is the molar volume (liters per mole), and R is the ideal gas constant [8.314
(liter kPa)/(mole K)].
Question #5
Perform the following matrix calculations by hand.
a) Given the following square matrices,

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4
= [1
3

1 14
2 5
]

=
[
2 1
1 13
0 9
5 9

2
1 3
1 2 3
]

=
[
5
8 2] = [
5 6 7
7
7 11

4
]
8

carry out the following matrix operations

i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.

A+B
B+A
AB
BA
CD
AC

Question #6
Write the following sets of simultaneous equations in matrix form. Using Excel, check the
determinants to see whether or not there is a solution. If a solution exists, use matrix methods in
Excel to solve the system of equations, then use Solver in Excel to verify your answers.
a) 6x1 + 2x2 + 8x3 = 14
2x1 + 3x2 + 4x3 = 6
3x1 + 2x2 + x3= 4
b) 4x1 + 2x2 + x3 + 5x4= 21.9
2x1 + x2 + 3x3 + 4x4= 19.5
3x1 + x2 + x3 + 2x4= 13.4
2x1 + x2 + x3 + 4x4= 14.7
Question #7
A spout on the bottom of a container can discharge water with the following volumetric flow rate
(liters/second):
f = 0.045(80-t)2
It takes exactly 80 seconds for the container to empty entirely. Given this information,
determine:
a) The total amount of water initially in the tank.
b) The quantity of water discharged in the first 40 seconds.
c) The volume of water discharged from t = 10 sec, to t = 50 sec.
Each of the values for a), b) and c) above should be calculated using:
i. Classical calculus methods,
ii. Using the trapezoidal rule in Excel (use a 5 second interval for data points),
iii. Using Simpsons rule for a) and c) only in Excel (use a 5 second interval for data points).

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