Modeling a voltage divider
Michele McColgan, Siena College
This is a homework assignment in a course in electronics for sophomore-level physics students on the topic of voltage dividers. At the start of the semester, students receive a kit of electronic components ...

Using MATLAB to understand distributions: Pokémon GO
Benjamin Bratton, Vanderbilt University
This problem set will help teach students how to describe real world distributions. Data science skills that will be covered include measures of central tendency and spread, transformations of distributions, ...

The 'Keeling Curve' and analyzing time series data in MATLAB
Gareth Funning, University of California-Riverside
In this exercise, we analyze the trends in the CO2 record monitored at Mauna Loa, (the 'Keeling Curve'). This is an exercise in data handling, interpolation, trend estimation and extrapolation.

Modeling River Long Profiles
Andrew Darling, Colorado State University
This project or multi-lab activity is designed to teach students about modeling landscape change caused by rivers over large time and spatial scales (e.g., the incision of Grand Canyon). Basic working knowledge of ...

Relaxation Method for a real parallel-plate capacitor
Sean Bartz, Indiana State University
Students learn to solve Laplace's equation for the potential in free space under the influence of a variety of boundary conditions that would be difficult to solve analytically, using the method of relaxation. ...

Monitoring Algal Blooms with Landsat (OLI)
Andrew Fischer, university of tasmania
Algal blooms are caused by an aggregation of either microscopic phytoplankton or macro algae. They can produce toxic or harmful effects on humans and or the ecosystem. The purpose of this activity is to teach ...

Finite difference modeling of hillslope diffusion
Dylan Mikesell, Boise State University
This activity introduces students to the finite difference solution of the hill-slope diffusion PDE. The students derive partial derivatives from Taylor Series expansions of the 2D topography function z(x,t). After ...

Sophomore Bioengineering Final Project
Princess Imoukhuede, Washington University in St. Louis
Description: As a final project, students apply their knowledge of mass conservation to develop computational models of ligand-receptor signaling. Students systemically examine how signals enter cells ...

Population Dynamics: Bacterial Growth Curves Provide Data to Calculate Growth Rates and Carrying Capacity
Anne Walter, Saint Olaf College
Bacterial growth rates are monitored by OD and OD converted to cell population density from a standard curve derived from plate counts. The resulting data are used to fit a logistic model solved at discrete time ...

Estimating Pi using series
Alanna Hoyer-Leitzel, Mount Holyoke College
This lab activity uses MATLAB to approximate pi. Students calculate partial sums of infinite series that sum to a multiple of pi, and then calculate error or error bounds. The goal of this lab is to introduce the ...