Creating Simple Math Expressions

Now that values are assigned to variable a1 and variable b1, you can use these variables in equations. Type c1:a1+b1 .

Now type c1= . You should get the following result:

As you begin using variables, it is important to understand the following Mathcad protocol. In order to use a previously defined variable, the variable must be defined above or to the left of where it is being used. In other words, Mathcad calculates from left to right, top to bottom.

As you can see, Mathcad does not require any programming language to perform simple operations. Simply type the equations as you would write them on paper.

CREATING SIMPLE MATH EXPRESSIONS

There are two ways to create a simple expression. The first way is to just type as you would say the expression. For example, you say 2 plus 5, so you would type the following 2+5 . You say 2 to the 4th power, so you would type 2^4 . You say the square root of 100, so you type \100 . The second way to create a simple expression is to type an operator such as , , *, or /. This will create empty placeholders (black boxes) that you can then click to fill in the numbers or operands. For example, if you press the key anywhere in your worksheet, you will get the following:

Click in the first placeholder and type 2 , then press TAB or click in the second placeholder and type 5 . Your expression should now look like this:

In this example, 2 and 5 are operands of the operator. You can use this procedure with any operator. Lets try the exponent operator. Press ^ to create the exponent operator. You can also click on the calculator toolbar. You should have the following: