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Graph
Tool: The Graph Tool plots two
variables against each other dynamically. It functions in
both Run
mode and Stop
mode. You must select the
variables to be plotted. Place up to ten graph tools
anywhere in the simulation window. With
Select
depressed, you can move and
resize
the graph tool in Stop mode. In the graph tool's
Properties
Box, you can set a wide variety
of properties. These properties are discussed in detail
under the topic headings listed below.
Click on the topic
of interest.
What
Can I Plot?
In the Microscopic
Pressure Simulator, you can
plot:
- Time, if the
clock
has been placed. The default
scale label
for time is sec.
- Collisions per second,
if a collisions
per second meter has been
placed. The default
scale label
is
collisions/sec.
- Impulse per collision,
if an impulse
per collision meter has been
placed. The default
scale
label is
impulse/collision.
- Total force, if a
total
force meter has been placed.
The default
scale
label is Total
Force.
In the Ideal
Gas Simulator and Gas Simulator, you can plot:
- Time, if the
clock
has been placed. The default
scale label
for time is sec.
- Pressure, if a
pressure
meter has been placed. The
default scale
label is
atm.
- Volume, if a
volume
meter has been placed. The
default scale
label is
liters.
- Temperature, if a
temperature
meter has been placed. The
default scale
label is Kelvin
or Celsius.
- Density, if a
density
meter has been placed. The
default scale
label is
grams/liter.
- Number density, if a
number
density meter has been placed.
The default
scale label
is #
particles.
- Impulse per collision,
if an impulse
per collision meter has been
placed. The default
scale
label is
impulse/collision.
- Average particle speed,
if a speed/energy
meter has been placed and
speed selected. The default
scale label
is
m/s.
- Average particle
energy, if a speed/energy
meter has been placed and
energy selected. The default
scale label
is meV
(milli-electron volts).
In the Gas
Diffusion Simulator, you can
plot:
- Time, if the
clock
has been placed. The default
scale label
for time is sec.
- Pressure, if a
pressure
meter has been placed. The
default scale
label is
atm.
- Density, if a
density
meter has been placed. The
default scale
label is
grams/liter.
- Number density, if a
number
density meter has been placed.
The default
scale label
is #
particles.
- Impulse per collision,
if an impulse
per collision meter has been
placed. The default
scale
label is
impulse/collision.
- Average particle speed,
if a speed/energy
meter has been placed and
speed selected. The default
scale label
is
m/s.
- Average particle
energy, if a speed/energy
meter has been placed and
energy selected. The default
scale label
is meV
(milli-electron volts).
In the Evaporation
Simulator,
you can plot:
- Time, if the
clock
has been placed. The default
scale label
for time is sec.
- Pressure, if a
pressure
meter has been placed. The
default scale
label is
atm.
- Temperature, if a
temperature
meter has been placed. The
default scale
label is Kelvin
or Celsius.
- Density, if a
density
meter has been placed. The
default scale
label is
grams/liter.
- Number density, if a
number
density meter has been placed.
The default
scale label
is #
particles.
- Average particle speed,
if a speed/energy
meter has been placed and
speed selected. The default
scale label
is
m/s.
- Average particle
energy, if a speed/energy
meter has been placed and
energy selected. The default
scale label
is meV
(milli-electron volts).
- Particle sticking rate
(sticking to liquid surface), if a sticking
rate meter has been placed and
energy selected. The default
scale label
is #
stick/sec.
- Particle leaving rate
(leaving liquid surface), if a leaving
rate meter has been placed and
energy selected. The default
scale label
is #
leave/sec.
In the Freezing and
Melting Simulator, you can plot:
- Time, if the
clock
has been placed. The default
scale label
for time is sec.
- Volume, if a
volume
meter has been placed. The
default scale
label is
liters.
- Temperature, if a
temperature
meter has been placed. The
default scale
label is Kelvin
or Celsius.
- Density, if a
density
meter has been placed. The
default scale
label is
grams/liter. This is an error, because the meter
actually measures kilograms/liter. You
should reset the scale label accordingly.
- Number density, if a
number
density meter has been placed.
The default
scale label
is #
particles.
- Average particle speed,
if a speed/energy
meter has been placed and
speed selected. The default
scale label
is
m/s.
- Average particle
energy, if a speed/energy
meter has been placed and
energy selected. The default
scale label
is meV
(milli-electron volts).
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Scale
Mode: Before you choose
variables, you should
decide
which Scale
Mode to use. If you choose
Auto Scale
Mode, the simulator chooses
the axis scales for you. If you choose
Hand Scale
Mode, you must set the axis
scales yourself.
We suggest that if you know what
range of values will be plotted, or can make an educated
guess,
choose
Hand
Mode. You will generate a
better-looking graph that is easier to interpret than one
drawn in Auto
Mode.
If you don't know what range of
values will be plotted,
choose
Auto
Mode. Once the graph has been
generated, you will know the range of values. Most of the
time, you can then replot the graph in
Hand
Mode.
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Axis
Variables:
Choose
the
Vertical
and
Horizontal
variables to be plotted from
among those listed in the pull-down menus. See
What
Can I Plot? to find out
which variables you can plot and how to get them to those
variables to appear on the pull-down menus.
Scaling
the Axes (Hand Mode ONLY [see
Scale
Mode]):
Set
the following properties for each axis:
- Begin
value: The minimum axis
value at the graph's origin.
- Step
value: The distance between
each notch on the axis in units of the variable being
plotted. This value must be
positive.
- Step
size: The size of each step,
in pixels. The default value is 20. The minimum
step size is 10 pixels and the maximum is 50 pixels.
The maximum graph size is approximately 200 X 200 pixels.
Thus, the axis
end
value ( maximum axis
value) for a graph of maximum size is:
end
value =
begin value
+
(step value
x [200 pixels /
step
size])
- Scale
label: The label indicating
the units of the axis variable. In most circumstances,
the default label displays the correct
units. See What
Can I Plot? to find out what
the defaults are.
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Miscellaneous
properties.
Options
- Show marker: Show the
marker
that traces the plot.
- Clear graphic: Clear the graph
when you click Apply or OK.
- Dynamic scaling:
Auto
Mode only. If
chosen, the graph automatically redraws itself when the
marker
moves off the
graph. Leave
this box checked.
Refresh time: How often the graph
tool draws a new point. In most circumstances, you will want
the shortest time--100 ms, or 0.1 seconds. This is the
default value.
Step precision: The precision with
which the graph tool determines step values. If you have a
step
value less than 1,
choose
a step precision of 3.
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Rises
and Runs properties: The
Rises and
Runs feature lets students use a
triangular approximation to determine the rate at which the
vertical variable is changing with respect to the horizontal
variable. For example, if the graph tool is plotting
velocity against time, the Rises and Runs feature lets
students approximate the acceleration.
The Rises and Runs feature only
works if the vertical variable increases or decreases
monotonically
with respect to the horizontal variable. If changes are not
monotonic, the simulator informs the user that the Rises and
Runs feature does not work. Then it turns off the Rises and
Runs feature.
Rises and Runs: Turns on the Rises
and Runs feature.
Shade segments: Shade regions
under the curve formed by each "rise" and "run."
Number of segments: Number of
rises and runs.
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In the figure to the right, the
graph tool plots density (the
vertical
variable) against
time (the
horizontal
variable). For
density,
the begin
value is 0, the
step
value is
0.1, and the
step
size is 20
pixels. For time, the
the begin
value is 0, the
step
value is
10, and the
step
size is 20
pixels.
In the top right corner,
clicking on the
C
in
Select
clears the graph.
Rolling the mouse over the dot turns the graph on
or off. The graph is on when the dot
is red and off when the
dot is black.
The silver-gray
sliders
on the left and botton of the graph allow you to
adjust the horizontal and vertical scales of the
graph, but only in
Stop
mode and only if you
chose
Hand
Mode. In
Run
mode, the scales revert
to the values specified in the Properties
Box.
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