The default mode for Mathcad is math function and you can tell by the blue cursor when clicking on it. If you want to create a text box, just type in the words followed by a spacebar -- Mathcad will recognize as text not math functions. And a red cursor will apprear when you click on the text.
If you make a mistake, use the Undo and Redo arrow buttons or choose Undo from the Edit menu. You can also press Ctrl+Z to undo and Ctrl+Y to redo.
Some Tips:
1) To create space between lines, put the crosshair between the lines and then hit Enter. To delete space between lines, put the crosshair between lines and hit Backspace.
2) To change background color of an object, right click on the object, select Properties, check highlight region under display tab and then choose whatever color you want to hightlight.
Operator
Type
How it appears in Mathcad
Parentheses
Addition
Substraction
& Negation
Multiplication
Division
Square root
Nth root
Exponentiation
Definition
Range variable
Vectorize
Add line
'
+
-
*
/
\
[ctrl]\
^
:
;
[ctrl]-
]
One of the commands you will use is definition, which is displayed in the "Mathcad commands" table above.
For single value variables, first type the variable name, followed by the colon and the value. For example,
Type:
Mathcad shows:
x:2
dist:25m
m:\x^3
Some variable names have subscripts. You can press the period [.] key to create subscript. For example,
Type:
Mathcad shows:
v.1:20mi/hr
For range variable, you will use the definition command plus the range variable command. For example,
Type:
Mathcad shows:
k:3.5,4.5;12.5
times:1s,2.5s;7s
See Below:
Type:
Mathcad shows:
k=
times=
v.1=
Type:
Mathcad shows:
distance:1356ft
rate.1:distance/42.4s
rate.1=
You will use multiple commands to create a math expression. All basic commands are shown in Table 1 in Section 2 Mathcad Commands. For example,
Type:
Mathcad shows:
2x^3
x+6
Click and type:
Mathcad shows:
2
r^2
r
1) Defining functions is similar to what you do on a piece of a paper. Note that the algebraic expression on the right-hand side of your function definition must use the variable noted in parentheses on the left-hand side. For example,
Type:
Mathcad shows:
d(s):s-1
d(101)=
d(-101)=
Type:
See:
V:10L
Q:14mL/s
θ:V/Q=
If you define a new variable first before you define all the variables it depends on, remember to include any undefined variables in the parenthesis. Otherwise the variables in the equation will be recognized as not defined and will appear in red color. Just do a slight change from the previous example. See below:
Type:
Mathcad shows:
θ.1(V.1,Q.1):V.1/Q.1
* In order to avoid confusion due to the previous definition of V,Q and θ,
I use V 1 , Q 1 , and θ 1 .
V.1:10L
Q.1:14mL/s
θ.1(V.1,Q.1)=
Type:
Mathcad shows:
D(V.1,Q.1):θ.1(V.1,Q.1)*10in/s
D(V.1,Q.1)=
2) For a range variable, the results of the calculation will appear in a table like below.
Type:
Mathcad shows:
function(y):y^2
Y:3,3.5;5
function(Y)=
3) To create a piecewise function (conditional Statement), use the add line command "]". Click on the
For example,
Type:
Mathcad shows:
n:1,2;10
x(n):]6/n
x(n)=
Click
key on the keyboard.
You can also use a local variable for the definition. For the following example, h is the local variable.
Type:
Mathcad shows:
A(L,W):L*W
V.tank:D(V.1,Q.1)*A(L,W)
H.chamber(V.1,Q.1,L,W):]
4 ) Some functions have one or more statements that execute repeatedly until a particular condition occurs. Thus we need to create a loop for these functions. There are 2 typical kinds of loops: For Loop and While Loop.
Use a "For Loop" when you know exactly how many times the body of the loop should execute. For example, we are looking for the sum of an arithmetic progression with an initial value of 0 and a common difference of 1.
s is the placeholder for the sum of this sequence. i is a range variable that shows the sequence (i.e. i=0,1,2,3,4,5,...n
Type:
Mathcad shows:
key on the keyboard. Select
sum(n):]]
s
sum(4)=
Use a "While Loop" when you want to stop execution upon the occurrence of a condition but you don't know exactly when that condition will occur. For example,
First, we define the vector v,
Type:
Mathcad shows:
v:
1
Second, create function "f" that returns the number of times to jump out of the loop.
Type:
Mathcad shows:
f(v,t):]]]
counter
j
counter
f(v,3)=
button in the toolbar for
Again, select
To create an array, use the Matrix command in the Insert menu, or from the Matrix toolbar (in red cicle). Type in the number of rows and columns you want.
For example,
1) Type in the number of Rows and Columns in the popped-up "Insert matrix" menu and then hit OK. (details in part 4 of section 5 "Creating Functions").
2) Use mouse or "Tab" key to move around the rows . If you want to add the unit to this array, click on any number and hit spacebar to make the cursor point at the whole array. Then type in the unit.
3) If you want to include words in the array, remember to put the words inside the quotation marks. See the second example.
To create an array subscript to show some elements in the array, type the name followed by the "[". For example,
To extract a matrix column, use the "matrix column" toolbar. For example,
To extract several rows and columns, create a submatrix function by typing submatrix ([matrix name],
Use the concat function to concatenate different elements in the matrixs. For example,
1 ) To create a single 2-D plot, choose Graph > X-Y Plot from the Insert menu or click the X-Y Plot button on the Graph toolbar (enclosed in a red circle in the picture below).
A blank graph should appear in the worksheet.
Define the datasets for x and y axis seperately. Then input the variables on the x and y axis. Remember to put the dependable variables in parenthesis. For example,
Type:
Mathcad shows:
x:0,1;10
y(x):x^2
2 ) To create multiple 2-D plots, use comma between each variables.
For example, using the x and y(x) defined above, add 2 new functions:
Type:
See:
x.2:15,16;20
y.2(x):\x[Spacebar]-x
Click on the x-y plot button on the toolbar. Input x,x.2 in the placeholder on the x axis. And then input y(x),y.2(x) in the placeholder on the y axis.
Here is a more complicated example that was adapted from flocculation breakup model.
Step 1: Define all the variables.
Step 2: Plot the graph.
Step 3: Change the range for the X-axis by inputing 10 in the placeholder on the left and 100 on the right. Similarly, change the Y-axis from 0.1 to 20.
Step 4: Format your graph. Double click the graph and a new window "Formatting Currently Selected X-Y Plot"will pop up.
Under the X-Y Axes label, check "Log scale", "Grid lines", "Numbered", "Auto scale" for both X- and Y-Axis. Also check the Boxed under "Axis Style".
Under the "Traces" Label, change the names of the Legend label by doubleclicking them.
Select straight line for all 5 labels under "Line" column. Change anything else according to the picture below. Check "Hide Arguments" so that all the variables will be hided. Uncheck "Hide legend" and select "Top-right".
Under the "Labels" label, change anything according to the picture below. Then hit OK.
Now your graph should look like this:
1 ) Variable undefined.
Note: Click on the error and you will see an error message highlighted in yellow. For this case, you need to define any red constant/variable ABOVE this new definition.
2 ) Definition that include scalar or matrix.
For this case, you need to put any scalar/matrix in parenthesis after the new function "d". Also see the notes in the part 1) of Second 5 Creating Functions.
3 ) Wrong unit.
For this case, you need to include s as unit for all listed numbers in the range.
Example 2:
3 ) Unallowed evaluation.
Mathcad doesn't like calculating vectors in one line. You can correct by retyping the name of the new function followed with the =(equal) mark.
4 ) A name is required here.
You cannot define the value of a function at a particular point; you must specify a variable within the function's argument list.
5 ) About green wave:
The green wave indicates the same name is used above. In order to avoid confusion by using the same name, we can change the name slightly. One way is to add .(period)1
For more information about errors, check this link:
http://77.41.237.66:81/Public_Z/%D0%B101-071-1/1%20%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F/%D0%B8%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0/Mathcad/Mathcad%2014/doc/HELP_EN/Help/Numerical_Errors.html
1. Mathcad build-in tutorial
2. http://www.engr.colostate.edu/ECE562/mathcad.pdf
3. http://www.phys.uconn.edu/~hamilton/phys258/P/tutorial.pdf
4. https://confluence.cornell.edu/display/cee4540/DC+MathCAD+Tutorial+13