Describe the benefits of modeling in engineering.Develop a linear equation and determine its location and slope on a graph.As science progresses and technology becomes pervasive and costly to prototype, modeling can provide confidence to the expected real-world results.Īfter this activity, students should be able to: NASA engineers were able to send a human to the moon and back with nothing but slide rulers-and without modern electronics-thanks to their very accurate vector calculations. Thus, advance modeling of predicted space shuttle paths on x-y graphs is critical to plan and verify the distance, travel time and fuel required to complete the trip. Making mistakes in the vector equation calculations can result in the depletion of precious materials that are essential to get back home. Space shuttles carry a limited supply of oxygen for the purpose of creating propulsion forces for movement. On Earth, we are able to stop movement instantly, but in space, without a medium such as air, roads or wind, space shuttles must rely on propulsion, which uses a reaction force to move an object. For example, aerospace engineers design spacecraft and develop vector equations to control the space shuttle.

Copyright © 2012 Stanislav Roslyakov, Polytechnic Institute of NYU and Microsoft clipartīefore designing devices and structures, engineers model events, such as projectile motion, bouncing balls and rocket flights, to help them understand the motion that objects take.

Linear equation maker