UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES

College of Science and Mathematics

DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED PHYSICS

PROBLEM SET 1
Computational
Physics 2 BSAP 3G1

Lance F. Atega
BS AP 3G1

Directions: (Please read the following directions. Not following directions will be deducted accordingly.)
⮚ Answer the following on your Own Effort, so you will learn. It’s okay to explore the internet for your
reference
but Do Not explore the answer of your classmates ☺.
⮚ Take a photo of your codes and results or you can encode it if you have the resources to do it.
⮚ Upload your works to our google classroom or USTEP.
⮚ Please write your name and section in the upper left corner of your paper. Also write your signature
besides your name.
⮚ Stay SAFE everyone!

1. Graph both of the following functions on a single figure, with a

usefully-sized scale. (a) 𝑥4𝑒−2𝑥
(b) [𝑥2𝑒−𝑥𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝑥2)]2
Make sure your figure has legend, range, title, axis labels, and so on.
2. The data shown in “microphones.txt” is most usefully analyzed by looking at the ratio of the two
microphone signals. Superimpose the plot of these ratios (mic1:mic2 and mic2:mic1), with
frequency on the x-axis. Be sure to clean up the graph with appropriate scales, axes labels, and a
title.
3. The data in file Ba137.txt contains two columns. The first is counts from a Geiger counter, the
second is time in seconds.
(a)Make a useful graph of this data.
(b) If this data follows an exponential curve, then plotting the natural log of the data (or plotting
the raw data on a logarithmic scale) will result in a straight line. Determine whether this is the case,
and explain your conclusion with an appropriate graph.
4. The data in file Ba137.txt is actual data from a radioactive decay experiment; the first column is the
number
of decays N, the second is the time t in of Ba-137. It should follow
seconds. We'd like to know the half-life 𝑡1
2

the decay equation 𝑁 = 𝑁0load

𝑒−𝜆𝑡 where 𝜆 = 𝑙𝑜𝑔2. Using the techniques you've learned in this chapter,
𝑡1/2
the data from file Ba137.txt into appropriately-named variables in an iPython session. Let’s estimate
𝑡1/2 =
190 𝑠, the time it takes to get half of the material to decay. Plot the resulting equation on top of the
data in #3.
5. The normal modes and angular frequencies of those modes for a linear system of four coupled
oscillators of mass m, separated by springs of equal strength k, are given by the eigenvectors and
eigenvalues of M, shown below.
 (The eigenvalues give the angular frequencies ω in units of √𝑘 .) Find those angular frequencies.
𝑚

6. Create a single plot that shows separate graphs of position, velocity, and acceleration for an
object in free- fall. Your plot should have a single horizontal time axis and separate stacked
graphs showing position,
⮚
velocity, and acceleration each on their own vertical axis. (See figure below.) The online
matplotlib gallery will probably be helpful! Print the graph, with your name in the title.