Chapter 3.

Working with
Mathcad
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Introduction to Mathcad
Mathcad Concepts
Application of Mathcad

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

 INTRODUCTION

Chapter Objectives
At the end of the chapter, the
student should be able to:
explain the theories behind
Mathcad programs; and
Understand basic interface in
Mathcad.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

INTRODUCTION
Mathcad
It is a computer software
primarily intended for
Verification
Validation
Documentation and
Re-use of Engineering
calculations
Present both equation and
numerical values in easy to
read fashion.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

INTRODUCTION
History of Mathcad
First introduced in 1986 on Disk
Operating System (DOS).
It was the first to introduce live editing
of typeset mathematical notation,
combined with its automatic
computations.
Originally conceived and written by
Allen Razdow (co-founder of Mathsoft
together with David Blohm).
MathCad is now owned by Parametric
Technology Corporation (PTC).

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

INTRODUCTION
Evolution of Mathcad
Mathcad 2.52 1989
Mathcad 3.1 1992
Mathcad PLUS 6.0 1995
Mathcad 13.0 2005
Mathcad 14.0 2007
Mathcad 15.0 2010
Mathcad Prime 1.0 2011
Mathcad Prime 2.0 2012
Mathcad Prime 3.0 2013

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

INTRODUCTION
Mathcad Prime 3.0
It is generally accepted as the first computer application
to automatically compute and check consistency of
engineering units such as the International System of
Units (SI), throughout the entire set of calculations
It includes some of the capabilities of a computer
algebra system, but remains oriented towards ease of
use and simultaneous documentation of numerical
engineering applications.
The good thing about is that you dont need to be a PTC
Mathcad expert to read and understand PTC Mathcad
documents.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

INTRODUCTION
Mathcad Capabilities
Utilize numerous numeric functions, across examples such as statistics,
data analysis, image processing, and signal processing
Automatically manage units throughout the worksheet, preventing
improper operations and performing automatic unit-reduction
Solve systems of equations, such as ODEs and PDEs through the use
of several methods
Find roots of polynomials and functions
Calculate and manipulate expressions symbolically, including within
systems of equations
Create parametric 2D and 3D plot types, as well as discrete data
plots
Leverage standard, readable mathematical expressions within
embedded program constructs

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

INTRODUCTION
Mathcad Capabilities (cont.)
Perform vector and matrix operations, including eigenvalues and eigenvectors
Perform curve fitting and regression analysis on experimental datasets
Utilize statistical and Design of Experiments functions and plot types, and
evaluate probability distributions
Import from, and export to, other applications and file types, such as Microsoft
Excel and MathML.
Include references to other Mathcad worksheets to re-use common engineering
methods
Integrate with other engineering applications, such as CAD, FEM, BIM,
and Simulation tools, to aid in product design, like Autocad, Ansys, Revit
Used in more complex projects to visualize results of mathematical modeling by
using distributed computing and coupling with programs written using more
traditional languages such as C++.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

INTRODUCTION
Mathcad operating system platforms
Mathcad is currently a Windows-only application.
Current releases of Mathcad Prime 3.0 are supported on
32-bit and 64-bit versions of:
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 8.1
While users do utilize emulation to establish other platform
operability, Mathcads last officially supported, natively
installed Mac OS release was on January 8, 1998.
This version can still be run on Macintosh computers that
support the Mac OS X Classic Environment or SheepShaver.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Mathcad Workspace

PTC Mathcad Button

Quick Access Toolbar
Open Worksheets Bar
Status Bar
Ribbon Bar

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
PTC Mathcad Button
Similar to the File tab used in many software programs.
Allows you to:
open a new worksheet
open an existing worksheet
save a worksheet
save a template
print a worksheet
close a worksheet
There is also an Options button where you can set PTC Mathcad
global settings.
This is where you can also manage your PTC Mathcad licenses.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Quick Access Toolbar

Located at the top of the workspace.

Contains commands that are used on a regular basis.
You can add commands to the Quick Access toolbar by right
clicking on a command and selecting, Add to Quick Access
Toolbar.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Open Worksheets Bar
Located just below the Ribbon Bar and has a tab for each
open worksheet.
You can switch between worksheets by clicking on one of the
tabs shown in the Open Worksheets Bar.
To close the selected worksheet, click the X located on the
right side of the bar.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Status Bar
Located at the bottom of the workspace.
It contains page numbers, Find, Replace, and a zoom slider.
This is also where you can switch between Page View and
Draft View display modes.
The circle in the Status Bar is green when the Auto Calculation
mode is turned on.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Ribbon Bar
Comprised of multiple tabs where you can easily access most
of PTC Mathcads features

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Features in Ribbon Bar
Math Tab - allows
you to quickly access
many basic math
operators and
symbols. Located in
the Operators and
Symbols group.
Operators - contains
numerous operators
from algebra,
calculus, Boolean
comparison, and
more.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Features in Ribbon Bar (cont.)
Symbols- contains
lowercase and
uppercase Greek
letters. If you hover
your mouse over a
Greek letter its
keyboard shortcut will
appear.
Constants - has
symbols and
variables for common
math and physics
constants

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Summary of Equal Signs
There are four equal signs used in PTC Mathcad
The definition operator (:=) COLON is used to define variables,
functions, or expressions.
The evaluation operator (=) EQUAL SIGN is used to evaluate a
variable, function, or expression numerically.
The Boolean equal to operator (=) CTRL+EQUAL SIGN is used to
evaluate the equality condition in a Boolean statement. It is also used
for programming, solving, and in symbolic equations.
The global definition operator () CTRL+TILDA ~ or
CTRL+SHIFT+ACCENT is used to assign a global variable. All global
assignment definitions in the worksheet are scanned by PTC Mathcad
prior to scanning for normal assignment definitions. This means that
global assignments can be defined anywhere in the worksheet and
still be recognized. Global assignments should be used with caution.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Regions
A region is a location where information is stored on the worksheet. Your
entire PTC Mathcad worksheet will be comprised of individual regions.
There are many types of regions:
Math
Text (Text Block and Text Box)
Plot
Table
Solve
Image

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Math Region
Compose variables, constants, expressions, functions, etc.
Basically anything except text regions and plot regions.
Created automatically whenever you create any expression or definition.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Text Region
Allow you to add notes, comments, titles, headings, and other items of
interest to your calculation worksheet.
There are two types of text regions:
Text block (CTRL+SHIFT+T) - extends from margin to margin and will
not overlap existing regions.
Text box (CTRL+T) - text region that can be resized and moved
around the worksheet. It can overlap other regions.
When you are finished typing the text, if you press the ENTER key, PTC
Mathcad inserts a new paragraph in the same text region.
In order to exit a text region, click outside the region or use the arrow
keys to move outside the text region.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Functions
PTC Mathcad has hundreds of built-in functions.
You access these functions from the Functions tab on the ribbon.
There are several default categories listed.
The All Functions control places a list on the left side of the worksheet of
all the PTC Mathcad functions listed by category.
If you click the AZ control, it lists the functions alphabetically.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
User-Defined Functions
Consist of a name, a list of arguments (in parentheses following the name),
and a definition giving the relationship between the arguments.
The name of the user-defined function is simply a variable name.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Units
PTC Mathcad keeps
track of it internally
and displays the unit
automatically.
You will never need to
remember the
conversion factors for
various units.
You will never need to
convert it from one
unit system to another.
PTC Mathcad does it
all for you.
All you need to do is
tell PTC Mathcad how
you want the unit
displayed.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Units (cont.)
Mathcad displays units based on one of three Unit Systems:
SI
US Customary System (USCS)
Centimeter-Gram-Second (CGS)
The worksheet system is shown on the Math tab in the Units group.
To change the system, select the drop-down box adjacent to the Unit
System control.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Evaluating and Displaying Units
When evaluating an expression with a unit attached, the unit that PTC
Mathcad displays by default is based on the chosen default unit system.
After evaluating an expression by pressing the = key, PTC Mathcad
displays the default unit in a blue italic bold font label, and the cursor is
placed to the right side of the unit label.
f you want PTC Mathcad to display a unit different than the default unit,
use the backspace key to delete the unit, and then type the name of the
unit you want displayed.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Arrays
Simply a vector or a matrix.
A vector is a matrix with only a single column or
single row.
To create arrays, the Insert Matrix control is located
on Matrices/Tables tab in the Matrices and Tables
group that allows you to select up to a 12x12
matrix.
You can also type the keyboard shortcut CTRL+M.
This command inserts a single placeholder within
brackets.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Arrays (cont.)
The Rows and Columns group on the Matrices/Tables tab has controls to
add rows above or below the insertion point and to add columns to the
left or right of the insertion point.
The keyboard shortcut SHIFT+Spacebar adds a column.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Arrays (cont.)
The Rows and Columns group on the Matrices/Tables tab has controls to
add rows above or below the insertion point and to add columns to the
left or right of the insertion point.
The keyboard shortcut SHIFT+Spacebar adds a column.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Origin
The value of the variable name ORIGIN tells PTC Mathcad the starting
index of your array.
The PTC Mathcad default for this variable is 0.
This means that a vector or matrix begin indexing with zero.
To change the value of ORIGIN, use the ORIGIN control on the Calculation
tab in the Worksheet Settings group (Calculation>Worksheet
Settings>ORIGIN>1).

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Subscripts
There are two types of subscripts used in PTC Mathcad.
Literal subscripts - part of a variable name.
Array subscripts

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Literal Subscripts
Part of a variable name.
Allows to have variable names such as Fs, fy., or H2S04.
Controlled by the Subscript control on the Math tab in the Style group
(Math>Style>Subscript).
It is a toggle switch that turns the subscript on and off.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Array Subscripts
Not part of the variable name.
Allows PTC Mathcad to display the value of a particular element in an
array.
Used to refer to a single element in the array.
Created by using the matrix index operator, or by using the [ key.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Literal subscript vs. Array subscript

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Range Variables
Similar to a vector in that it takes on multiple values.
The range of values has a beginning value, an ending value and uniform
incremental values between the beginning and ending values.
Can be used to iterate a calculation over a specific range of values, or to
plot a function over a specific range of values.
To define a range variable, type the variable name followed by the colon
(:). This creates the variable definition. In the placeholder, type the
beginning value, and then type a comma. This adds two placeholders
separated by two periods.

Now enter the incremental value first of the two placeholders. Now type
Period Period. This moves the cursor to the last placeholder. Enter the
ending value in the placeholder. If the second value is less than the
beginning value, then the range variable will be decreasing, and the last
value sets the lower limit to the range variable.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Plots Tab
Allows you to quickly insert 2-dimensional X-Y plots, Polar plots, and 3-
dimensional plots.

To create a simple X-Y plot, click the Insert Plot control in the Traces group
on the Plots tab, and then select XY Plot (Plots>Traces>Insert Plot>XY
Plot).

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Plot Tab (cont.)
To create a blank X-Y plot operator on the worksheet, You may also type
CTRL+2.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Setting Plotting Ranges
PTC Mathcad automatically sets
the x-axis domain range from -
10 to 10.
The y-axis values are
automatically set to match the
function being plotted.
The x-axis and y-axis plot ranges
may be changed by editing the
first and last tick marks for each
axis.
The interval may be changed by
editing the second tick mark.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD CONCEPTS
Getting Started Tab
One-stop place to access PTC Mathcad information.
From this tab, you can access:
PTC Mathcad Help
Tutorials
Engineering Resources
List of keyboard shortcuts
Many online resources
Great place to just explore and learn more about PTC Mathcad.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD SAMPLE PROGRAM

Defining Variables

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD SAMPLE PROGRAM
Solution:
Since the football was thrown at an angle, the initial velocity will
have a vertical and a horizontal component ( vyo and vxo respectively).

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD SAMPLE PROGRAM
Solution:
Using the two equations that describe the vertical and horizontal
position.

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD SAMPLE PROGRAM
Solution: Add Vertical Marker
Graph the height against the position in the open space.

Use the X-Y Trace dialog box to read off the distance where the
football hits the ground.
Answer: or

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD SAMPLE PROGRAM

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD SAMPLE PROGRAM

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

MATHCAD SAMPLE PROGRAM

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA

SUMMARY
Mathsoft, founded in 1984, was acquired by PTC in 2006.
Mathcad offers three critical capabilities important for engineers.
Equations are built by using mathematical symbols and variables
on a digital sheet of paper.
Results of equations can be plotted and dynamically updated on
the same sheet of digital paper.
It integrates with CAD and CAE software to pass dimensions and
parameters back and forth.
Mathcad are advantageous over spreadsheets because of the more
natural interface and use of mathematics. It is easier and simpler to use
than mathematical modeling as well, which is a better fit for scientists
and researchers.
The integration with CAD and CAE tools is critical to detailed design,
where engineers use equations to select purchased parts and size
components.
Mathcad is a very good fit for engineers performing calculations in
design.
ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA
 Thank you very much!

ENSC 26 Computer Applications in Engineering | PREPARED BY: RYO M. TOYODA