CIVL 1112 - Assignment #1

 Name: ________________________

 

"The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does."  Kemmons Wilson

 

Part 1. Develop a mathematical model to predict the number of Ping-Pong balls that would completely fill ERIC 205 when our class is in session (including 35 people and all the furniture). Follow the homework format and include the following sections:

  1. State the problem.

  2. Present your mathematical formula for predicting the number of Ping-Pong balls that will fit into ET 302 during class time.

  3. Define all the symbols associated with your model (include units).

  4. List the strengths and weaknesses of your model.

  5. Present estimates for variables and parameters in your model (include any assumptions).

  6. Give a numerical prediction for the number of Ping-Pong balls that would completely fill ERIC 205 (during class time).

  7. Comment on the sensitivity of your prediction to the values of the variables and the parameters

 

Part 2. Read the Chapters 1 - 2 in the "A Mind for Numbers" by Barbara Oakley.