ADDIS ABABA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Course Name: Numerical Methods Academic Year: 201/22 (2015E.C)
Course Code: CEng-3112 Semester : 2ND (II) , Regular
Prerequisite : Math 2007 , Comp2003 Credit Hours : 1-3-0-2 (2Cr. hr)
Instructor : Yohannes H. Section: CE-3A, 3B, 3C, 3D
Worksheet-I : BASIC CONCEPTS IN ERROR ESTIMATION
1. What are the sources of errors? And, why we measure errors?
2. Why we study numerical methods and what is its application for Civil Engineering?
3. Convert (456.824)10 to binary, Octal and hexadecimal system?
4. Convert the following base-2 numbers to base-10:
(a) (1011001)2 (b) (110.0101)2 c) (1101)2 and (d) (0.01011)2
5. Covert the binary number (1101001.1110011)2 to the octal and hexadecimal system?
6. Convert the following base-16 numbers to base-10:
a) (2C.0B7)16 b) (48.D9)16 c) (74E.6A)16
7. Round off the following numbers correct to four significant figures and Compute Ea , Er and Ep?
a) 18.265101 b) 35.46735 c) 49.85561
8. A body travels uniformly a distance of (13.8 + 0.2) m in a time (4 + 0.3) se. What is the velocity of the body
with in the error limits? And, find the percentage error?
9. A beam cross section has a dimension of 200mm*300mm (b*h). After the design is done, the beam size will
be 200.02mm*300.03mm. Calculate the absolute and relative errors of this measurement?
10. Find the percentage error in the area of a rectangle when an error of +1% is made in measuring the length
and breadth?
11. A rectangular notch 400mm long is used for measuring a discharge of 0.03m3/s. An error of 1.5mm was
made while measuring the head over the notch. Calculate the percentage error in the measurement of the
discharge? Assume Cd =0.60
12. If the mass of a liquid is (520 + 5)gm and its volume is (130 + 2)cm3 .
a) Find the percentage error in density?
b) Find the density of the liquid?
13. The curved member is subjected to the moment of M = 50 kN.m. Determine the percentage error introduced
in the calculation of maximum bending stress using the flexure formula for straight members?
14. A formula that provides a good estimate of the density of water in Kg/m3 is
(𝐓 − 𝟒)𝟐
𝛒𝐰 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 − [ ]
𝟏𝟖𝟎
Where T is the temperature in degree Celsius. Using this formula, find the density of water at 800C. What is the
error?
𝐅
15. The formula for normal strain in a longitudinal bar is given by 𝛜=
𝐀∗𝐄
where
F = normal force applied
A = cross-sectional area of the bar
E = Young’s modulus
If F = 50 ± 0.5 N , A = 0.2 ± 0.002 m2 , and E = 210 ×109 ±1×109 Pa , What is the maximum error
in the measurement of strain?
16. The percentage error in u which is given by U= (4V3 /w) + (W2/3) is not allowed to exceed 0.30%. Find the
allowable error in V and W if V=2 , and W= 4? Hint: Use Inverse Problems of the theory of errors
17. Use zero- through third-order Taylor series expansions to predict f (2.5) for f (x) = 25X3 − 6X2 + 7X − 88
Using a base point at x = 1. Compute the true percent relative error εt for each approximation?
18. Let f (x) = 2x cos (2x) − (x − 2)2 and x0 = 0.
a) Find the third Taylor polynomial P3(x), and use it to approximate f (0.4).
b) Use the error formula in Taylor’s Theorem to find an upper bound for the error |f (0.4)−P3(0.4)|.
Compute the actual error.
19. Find the second Taylor polynomial P2(x) for the function f (x) = ex cos x about x0 = 0.
a) Use P2 (0.5) to approximate f (0.5). Find an upper bound for error |f (0.5) − P2 (0.5)| using the
error formula, and compare it to the actual error.
b) Find a bound for the error |f (x) − P2(x)| in using P2(x) to approximate f (x) on the interval [0, 1].
20. The velocity of the falling parachutist can be computed by:
g∗m
V(t) = (1 − e−(C/m)t )
C
Use a first-order error analysis to estimate the error of v at t = 6.
A) If g = 9.81 and m = 50 but c = 12.5 ± 1.5?
B) If g = 9.81, t = 6, c = 12.5 ± 1.5, and m = 50 ± 2.5?
