II.1 Programming in MATLAB
Next, let’s write a short MATLAB program. A
Figure A2-1 MATLAB Desktop
MATLAB is a popular programming language that was
developed for technical computing. This section shows you
how to use MATLAB. You’ll be given three representative
MATLAB computer programs. As you look through the three
programs, you’ll see what syntax is used. The first program
shows how to graph. The second program shows how to use
arrays. The third program shows how to create functions.
Getting Started
When you start MATLAB, the MATLAB desktop shown in
Fig. A2 – 1 appears. Let’s begin by using the command
window in the desktop. In the command window, type
W = 100
and hit enter. Notice that MATAB responds by printing the
result of the command that you typed in. Next, type
theta = pi/6;
and hit enter. This time, MATLAB did not print the result of
the command because of the semicolon you placed at the end of
the instruction. Next type
F = W*sin(theta)
and hit enter. In the command window you can write
instructions using any of the normal algebraic operations plus
the other hundreds of MATLAB operations. To erase what’s in
the command window, type
clc
and then hit enter. To clear the values of all of the variables in
the workspace, type
clear
1
and then hit enter.
MATLAB program is called an M-file because it’s a file in
your computer and the “M” stands for MATLAB. Let’s create
am M-file named test.m. To create the M-file, type
edit test.m
and hit enter. Now type in the following program:
clear
W = 100;
theta = pi/6;
F = W*sin(theta)
Save and close the M-file and then go back to the command
window. To run this program type
test1
and hit enter. The program will display F = 50.00 in the
command window. To see which variables are defined in the
workspace, type
who
and hit enter. The variables F, W, and theta will be listed. To
see what programs you have in your current directory, type
what
and hit enter. You’ll only see test1.m listed because it’s the only
program you’ve created so far.
You’re now ready to look over the three computer
programs shown in Tables 1, 2, and 3. These programs can
serve as templates to refer to in the future when you’re creating
M-files.
Graphing
The first template graphs the cosine function and the
sine function. Create the M-file named tgraph.m and type in
Table 1. Notice that the values of the cosine function and the
sine function are created using a loop that begins with the for
statement and ends with the end statement. Now, save and
close tgraph.m, go to the command window, type in
tgraph
and hit return. A figure window with the graphs of the cosine
function and the sine function will appear. Notice that graphing
has a lot of optional features. You have the option to label your
axes, create a title for the graph, set the range of the horizontal
and vertical axes, put in a grid, graph more than one function in
the same graphing window, etc. Before proceeding, you may
want to take a moment and experiment with the program to try
out its different features.

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%
% tgraph.m
%
% This m-file is a template for creating graphs of functions. It contains many of the
% commands that are commonly used in graphing.
%
% In this template, the graphs of the sine function and the cosine function are created
% in one figure window.
%
% This template shows:
%
% - several ways of plotting
% - how to create a grid in a figure window
% - how to label axes
% - how to create a title for a figure window
% - how to create a legend when more than one plot is drawn in a figure window
%

clear % Optional Feature. This sets all values to zero.

for i = 1:361:1 % This is the beginning of a loop. The index i increases
% from 1 to 361 in increments of 1 each time through the
% loop. More compact ways of doing loops is shown in
% the template called tarray.
%for i = 1:361 % The default increment is 1.
theta(i) = (i-1)*2*pi/360; % theta is an array. theta varies from 0 to 2*pi radians.
f(i) = sin(theta(i)); % f is an array. The i-th entry of f is the sine function
% evaluated at the i-th value of theta.
p(i) = cos(theta(i)); % p is an array. The i-th entry of p is the cosine
% function evaluated at the i-th value of theta.
end % This is the end of the loop.

figure % This opens a new figure window.

grid on % Optional Feature. This creates a grid on your graph.
axis([0 7 -1 1]) % Optional Feature. This specifies the axis limits
% ([theta-min theta-max f-min f-max]).
hold % Optional Feature. This holds the figure window for more
% graphs.
%plot(theta,f) % This plots the array f versus theta (in radians).
%plot(f) % This plots the array f versus the index (from 1 to
% 361).
plot(theta,f,'r') % This plots the array f versus theta in red. The 'r'
% indicates the color red.
plot(theta,p,'g') % This plots the array p versus theta in green. The 'g'
% indicates the color green.
%plot(theta,p,'--') % This plots the array p versus theta in large dashes.
%plot(theta,p,':') % This plots the array p versus theta in small dashes.
%plot(theta,p,'r.') % This plots the array p versus theta in red in small
% red dots (zoom in to see them).
title('force and position') % Optional Feature. This creates a title for the figure
% window.
xlabel('t-axis') % Optional Feature. This creates a label for the
% horizontal axis.
ylabel('force or positon') % Optional Feature. This creates a label for the vertical
% axis.
legend('force','position') % Optional Feature. This creates a legend for the first
% and second graphs in the figure window.

Table 1: Template for Graphing

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Arrays
Next, look over the second template shown in Table 2.
This program determines the force reactions acting on the bar
shown in Fig. A2 – 2. The reactions are found by solving a set
of three linear algebraic equations. The unknowns in this
problem are
⎛ F ⎞
⎜ ⎟
x = ⎜NA⎟,
⎜N ⎟
⎝ B⎠

where F is the friction force at A, NA is the normal force at A,

and NB is the normal force at B. Create the M-file named
tarray.m and type in Table 2. Notice how the program defines
elements of vectors and matrices (arrays). Also notice how
these arrays are manipulated using vector algebra. In this
program, a set of linear algebraic equations of the form Ax = b
is solved by first calculating A-1 and then by calculating the
solution x = A-1b.

Next, save and close tarray.m, go to the command

window, type
tarray
and hit return. The command window diplays b, A, and the
solution x. You’ll see that F = 31.6987 lb, NA = 68.3013 lb, and
NB = 44.8288 lb.

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%
% tarray.m
%
% This m-file is a template for creating arrays. It contains many of the
% commands that are commonly used for arrays.
%
% In this template, a set of linear algebraic equations is solved.
%
% This template shows:
%
% - several ways to input a vector
% - how to transpose a vector and a matrix
% - how to invert a matrix
% - how to swap a column in a vector with another column vector
% - how to multiply vectors and matrices
% - how to perform a for-end loop more efficiently
%
clear
W = 100;
L = 2;
theta = pi/4;
beta = pi/6;
b = [W,0,W*L/2*cos(beta)]' % An array is defined by enclosing the elements in
% brackets, separating them by commas.
% This creates a row vector. The prime following the
% right bracket transposes the row vector, making it a
% column vector.
%
% b = [W;0;W*L/2*cos(beta)] % This is another way to define a column vector. Each row
% (the rows are one element long) is separated by a
% semicolon.
A = [0,1,cos(theta);1,0,-sin(theta);0,0,L*cos(theta-beta)] %A matrix is defined by
% listing its elements row by row. Each
% row is separated by a semicolon.
ainv = inv(A); % inv inverts a matrix.
% detofA = det(A) % det takes the determinant of a matrix.
% Atranspose = A' % a prime after a matrix transposes the matrix.
% A(:,2) = [10,10,10]' % Using the colon, the second row of A is replaced with
% the column vector [10,10,10]'.
x = ainv*b % multiplication/addition of vectors and matrices uses
% the same syntax that is used for scalars.
%time1 = [0:1:2*pi] % Instead of using a for-end loop. The following syntax
%can be used. This instruction creates a row vector of
% values starting from 0, stepping in increments of
% 1,ending just before 2pi. The loop is created using the
% brackets.
%time2 = [0:2*pi] % The default increment is 1.
%c = cos(time1) % Creates a row vector called c. The array is created
% using the parentheses, inside which the array time1
% appears.

Table 2: Template for Arrays

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To try out a few other vector operations, type in

clear
a = [1, 2, 3]
b = [2, 3, 4]

and then type in each of the following quantities and hit enter:

a*b’ a’*b dot(a,b)

dot(a,b’) cross(a,b) cross(a’,b’)

Notice that the dot function does not distinguish between

column vectors and row vectors but that the other operations
do.

Functions
The third and final template shows you how to create
functions. This will help you become more efficient in
programming. Create the M-file called tfunction.m and type in
Table 3. The M-file tfunction.m turns the force reactions in the
second template into a function of beta and theta. In the
command window, type in

[F,NA]=tfunction(pi/6,pi/4)

and hit enter. The reactions F and NA are displayed.

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 function [F,NA] = tfunction(beta,theta)
%
% tfunction.m
%
% This m-file is a template for a function.
%
% In this template, the function tfunction finds the friction force F and the normal
% force NA.
% The inputs to the function are the variables beta (the angle of the bar) and theta
% (the angle of the incline). These two inputs are in radians.
% The outputs to the function are F and NA.
% Notice the syntax for the function. The output variables are surrounded by brackets,
% the input variables are surrounded by parentheses, and the name of the function is
% the same as the name of the file.
%
% This template shows:
%
% - the syntax for a function
%
W = 100;
L = 2;
b = [W,0,W*L/2*cos(beta)]';
A = [0,1,cos(theta);1,0,-sin(theta);0,0,L*cos(theta-beta)];
ainv = inv(A);
x = ainv*b;
F = x(1);
NA = x(2);

Table 3: Template for Functions

The M-file tfunction.m can also be called from within

another program. So can the M-files test1 and test2. To
illustrate this, create the M-file named test2.m and type in
Table 4. This program determines the critical angle beta of the
bar for which the bar remains in static equilibrium but below
which the bar slides (See Fig. A2 – 2). The program test2.m
calls the function tfunction.m in a loop, sweeping over a range
of values of beta between 0 and theta. Each time the function is
called, the program compares the value of the friction force
with the maximum allowable level of friction, Fmax = µNA, to
see if it’s been exceeded. To run test2.m, go to the command
window, type in

test2

and hit enter. The command window displays

betacritical = 26.55, which is the critical angle beta
in degrees, and a figure window appears showing two graphs.
One graph is of the friction force F versus beta and the second
Figure A2 – 2: A bar rests on a rough surface at one
graph is of the maximum friction force (above which the bar
end and on a smooth inclined surface at the other end.
slides) versus beta.

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 clear
mu = 0.5;
theta = pi/4;
error = 100;
betamax = 0;

for i = 1:101
beta = (i-1)*theta/100;
[F,NA]=tfunction(beta,theta); % The function tfunction is called.
x(i) = beta*180/pi; % Notice that x in test2.m is
% different than x in tfunction.m.
% Quantities are not passed
% between programs.
y(i) = F;
FMAX(i)=mu*NA;
er = abs(F-FMAX(i));

if er <= error % This is an if-else-end statement.

error = er; % Betacritical is taken to be the value of
% beta (in degrees) for which
betacritical = beta*180/pi; % the difference between F and
% FMAX (in magnitude) is the smallest.
else
end
end

betacritical % The critical value of beta is displayed.

hold
grid on
xlabel('beta (degrees)')
ylabel('F (lb), F_M_A_X (lb) (in red)') % The "_" creates a susscript.
plot(x,y)
plot(x,FMAX,'r')

Table 4: Test2.m

Finally, note the functions in MATLAB like cos(x), inv(A),

etc., are no different that the function tfunction that you
just created. Type in

help tfunction

and hit enter. The comments that you placed at the beginning of
the M-file tfunction will appear in the command window, just
like any of the other MATLAB commands that are built-in.

This concludes the tutorial. The purpose of the tutorial

was to give you only the most basic tools – just to get started.
To become more proficient in MATLAB, try out the help
menu, the start button, experiment with the MATLAB features
and the other MATLAB tools.

Key Terms
Arrays, Command Window, Functions, Graphing,
MATLAB Desktop, M-file, Workspace

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Key Commands Problems
clc, clear, edit, what, who A2 – 1
A W = 50 lb block rests on a rough surface when the friction
force F acting on the block is less than µN, in which N denotes
Review Questions the normal force acting on the block by the surface and µ = 0.5
1. What is the MATLAB desktop?
is the static friction coefficient. When F exceeds 0.5N, the
2. Describe the purpose of a semicolon placed at the end of an
block begins to slide. The friction force F and the normal force
instruction.
N depend on the incline angle θ by F = 50cosθ and N = 50sinθ.
3. What command erases what’s in the command window?
4. What command clears all of the variables in the workspace? Plot the functions F(θ) and µN(θ) on the same graph letting θ
5. Describe the purpose of the commands who and what. range between 0 and 90○. Determine from the graph the largest
angle θmax for which the block remains at rest.
Answer: θmax = 26.6○ (Note that θmax can also be found
analytically.)

A2 – 2
A triangular truss is acted upon by a P = 500 lb load, as shown.
The load causes a tensile force of FAB = P/sinθ in member AB
and a compressive force of FAC = Pcosθ /sinθ in member AC.
Plot FAB + FAC versus θ. For what angle θ is FAB + FAC
minimal?
Answer: θmin = 60○ (Note that θmin can also be found
analytically.)

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A2 – 3 A2 – 5
A L = 15 foot inextensible cord is tensioned by a spring having A bridge is supported by cables that are suspended from a
a spring constant of k = 1000 pounds per foot and an circular arch, as shown. The number of cables is 2n + 1. The
unstretched length of a = 0.25 feet. A W = 20 pound weight cables are tensioned to equal tensions T. After some analysis, in
hangs from point A, as shown. After some analysis, the tension order to support a 100 kilo-pound weight, it has been
T in the cord (in pounds), the angle θ of the spring, and the determined that the tension in the cables is
stretch u of the spring were found to be related to each other by
the three equations W
T=
a = (a + u ) cos θ , W = ku sin θ , T = ku cos θ . n
sin kθ
It was determined from these equations that the angle θ of the 1+ 2 ∑
k =1 [cos kθ − 1 /(n + 1)] 2 + sin 2 (kθ )
spring is constrained by the equation
0 = f(θ) = a – [a + W/(ksinθ)]cosθ π
where θ = . Graph the tension T versus n for a range of
To find the angle θ, plot f(θ) over the range of θ between 0 and 2(n + 1)
90○ and locate from the graph where f(θ) = 0. Then, find the n between 1 and 10.
tension T in the cord and the stretch u in the spring. Answer:
Answer: θ = 30.321○, T = 34.2 pounds, u = 0.475 inches. T = 34.3, 23.1, 17.7, 14.4, 12.2 ,10.5, 9.27, 8.29, 7.50, 6.84 kilo - poun

A2 – 4
After analyzing the triangular truss given in problem A2 – 2, it
was determined that the unknown internal forces FAB and FAC
and the unknown reactions at B and C, denoted by RBx, RBy, and
RCx, are related to each other by the five equations

− F AB cos θ + F AC = 0,
F AB sin θ = 500
F AB cos θ + R Bx = 0,
− F AB sin θ + R By = 0,
− F AC + RCx = 0

in which θ = 60○. Placing the unknowns in the column vector x

= [FAB FAC RBx RBy RCx]T, write these equations in matrix-vector
form as Ax = b. Then write a short program, find A-1 and then x
= A-1b.
Answer: FAB = 577 lb, FAC = 289 lb, RBx = -289 lb, RBy = 500 lb,
RCx = 289 lb.

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A2 – 6
A stone ornamental bridge being considered as a gateway to a
European city combines Greek and gothic elements. The cables
are not just ornamental. They also pull together beam A and
pillars B. The cables are tensioned to the same tension to pull
down on the beam with a force of 2,500 pounds. The number of
cables is 2n. After some analysis, it has been determined that
the tension in the cables is

2500
T= n

∑
k
2H
k =1 L2 [2 − k /( n + 1)] 2 + H 2 [k /( n + 1)] 2
where L = 7 feet and H = 25 feet. Graph the tension T versus n
for a range of n between 5 and 10.
Answer: T = 361, 303, 261, 229, 205, 185 pounds.

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