Lab #3: Non-Constant accelertaion problem

Purpose: This lab is meant for people to see that sometimes solving a problem using calculations and calculus is not the way to go. Because things can get complicated really fast.

For example this problem:

If a person were asked to solve for how far the elephant would go before coming to rest, it would a nightmare. The calculus to solve this problem is not impossible but difficult and time consuming.

However, there is another way to find the distance and time the elephant goes. That would be by using Excel and solving with numerical integration. By choosing an interval like 0.1 to set the time at and calculating the acceleration, average acceleration, change of velocity, velocity, average velocity, change in position and distance we will be able to find the time and position if we extend the graph far enough.

By extending the graph all the way down until the velocity almost reaches zero we can see the approximate time and distance found the elephant has traveled.

We were able to test other time intervals to see how close the approximation can get or how far estimate will be.
                                         0.05 sec:

                                        0.2 sec:

                                        1 sec:

As you can see all of the graphs had relatively the same time and distance gathered. Some being closer to the calculated actual then others.