What is Calculation: Definition and 1000 Discussions

A calculation is a deliberate process that transforms one or more inputs into one or more results. The term is used in a variety of senses, from the very definite arithmetical calculation of using an algorithm, to the vague heuristics of calculating a strategy in a competition, or calculating the chance of a successful relationship between two people.
For example, multiplying 7 by 6 is a simple algorithmic calculation. Estimating the fair price for financial instruments using the Black–Scholes model is a more complex algorithmic calculation.
Statistical estimations of the likely election results from opinion polls also involve algorithmic calculations, but produces ranges of possibilities rather than exact answers.
To calculate means to determine mathematically in the case of a number or amount, or in the case of an abstract problem to deduce the answer using logic, reason or common sense. The English word derives from the Latin calculus, which originally meant a small stone in the gall-bladder (from Latin calx). It also meant a pebble used for calculating, or a small stone used as a counter in an abacus (Latin abacus, Greek abax). The abacus was an instrument used by Greeks and Romans for arithmetic calculations, preceding the slide-rule and the electronic calculator, and consisted of perforated pebbles sliding on iron bars.

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  1. P

    Force calculation - Gripper (Torsion Spring)

    Hi, Currently I am working on a project to find out the force required to open/close the gripper for holding a circular tube. I have used torsion spring between the two gripper and it will work like a clip. The circular tube is SS316 and the gripper is made out of Aluminium 6061. Stainless...
  2. B

    Help with calculation for dynamometer build?

    I'm looking for someone who can help me calculate the torque there will be transferred to my couplings between the rollers and to my belt connecting the 2 set of rollers. I have drawings of it all including inventor pro 2011 drawings/file of it all putted together without the belt and couplings...
  3. ShayanJ

    Problem with a piece of calculation

    I'm reading Gourgoulhon's Special Relativity in general frames. In chapter 11, which is about the principle of least action, he constructs the relativistic version of this principle but I have problem with one part of it. At first, he introduces Lagrangian and then from the fact that the action...
  4. M

    How do I calculate pressure drop in a pipeline?

    Anybody can help me for calculating pressure drop in pipeline. I really appreciate the suggestions from your side. i have the values of dp for equipments and valves...i want to know how to interlink with these dp values for calculation...i want to know, how to calculate the dp of scrubber. i had...
  5. Mentz114

    What Causes the Unexpected Limit in Rindler Horizon Calculations?

    Greetings. For my own edification I calculated a set of the congruence of uniformly accelerated observers in flat spacetime in the spherical polar chart. These observers accelerate radially outwards from some ##r## so that their horizons are at the same position ##r_h##. This requires that...
  6. S

    Lagrange Points Calculation Work

    (Sorry text is hard to read, please see attached document for an easier read) I am having trouble with #6, I'm not sure if what I have going on is entirely correct. Also #7 is a little confusing. Problem Statement & work done: For an object in orbit around a second, there are five LaGrange...
  7. T

    Shear stress calculation question

    Homework Statement I've been working on this question for a while but can't get anywhere. I was able to calculate Force BD and Force CE Now I am not sure how they calculated the area of section BD the math isn't making much sense to me Homework Equations σ = P / A A= π r2 The Attempt at a...
  8. ptownbro

    Where is speed factored in the Amperes calculation?

    OK. This may be a stupid question but here it goes. :D When thinking about the measurement of current in Amperes how is the speed of the current factored in the equation? Let me try to illustrate using example. Amperes is the measurement of the number if electrons or coulombs passing a given...
  9. B

    Magnetic flux density calculation for high permeability material

    Hi to all of you, As the Biot-Savart-Law is based on experimentations in air, i like to know how to calculate the magnetic flux density in material with much greater permeability, where the circular like shape of the field distribution troughout the vicinity does not apply. Does anyone has a...
  10. Qw_freak

    Calculation of gamma ray shielding value in liquids?

    Hi folks Please bear with me, I'm new here and this may not be the correct forum to ask this question. If this is the case, I'll of course remove my question and ask it the appropriate place instead. However, here it goes: I need to be able to calculate how much a given intensity of gamma...
  11. R

    Can I Calculate Shear Force and Bending Moment for Partially Loaded Beams?

    Hi, I am designing a beam to replace a load bearing wall. I have produced 2 separate UDL diagrams which, one for floor load and one for wall load. I am trying to find shear force and bending moment as in one for the total of the two diagrams. I know how to do it if the loads are spread...
  12. B

    Calculating Complex Logarithms

    Hello everyone, I am asked to calculate ##\log (e^{1+2i})##, and I would appreciate it if someone could verify my calculation.. My textbook defines ##\log z## as ##\log z = \ln |z| + i \arg z##. ##\log (e^{1+2i}) = \ln |e^{1+2i}| + i \arg(e^{1+2i}) \iff## ##\log (e^{1 + 2i}) = \ln|e e^{2i}|...
  13. BUI TUAN KHAI

    Bmax in Bohr's calculation for energy loss of charged particles (classical case)

    Dear all, I have inquiries about the Bohr's calculation for energy loss of charged particles. These inquires are from the "Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiments" (W.Leo). On page 23 of this book, it is written that: the the interaction time is t = b/(γv), with b is the...
  14. K

    Complex Moment of Inertia Calculation

    Homework Statement I'm just looking for the proper equation to use to find the moment of inertia of a complex assembly of bodies. I'm not a student and this isn't homework, but it seemed the most relevant place to pose the question. One of my hobbies is making toys and I'm trying to calculate...
  15. G

    Can you do more than 40 hours of calculation per week?

    I keep track of how much time I spend doing intellectual labor. It works out to 60% of my free time and 49 hours per week. I also separate my labor into two categories: hard and easy. The hard category comes to 43 hours per week since last April. That includes computer coding and writing up...
  16. E

    BH to Sun, back of the napkin calculation of solar mass

    Yesterday I had a bizarre idea. I supposed that a black hole (which I assumed to be a sufficiently dense sphere) became our sun. I know this is completely wrong, but please humor me and see what I've done. Suppose we have a sphere sufficiently dense, so that the Schwarzschild radius, r_s, is...
  17. K

    How Much Magnesium is Needed for 40 mL of Hydrogen Gas Production?

    Homework Statement Determine how many grams of Mg must react with HCl in order to produce 40 mL of hydrogen gas at 22 degrees Celsius and 1.02 bar. Also, If the Mg ribbon weighs 0.836 mg/mm, how many mm of the ribbon will you require? Homework Equations PV=nRT Mg(s) + 2HCl(aq) -->...
  18. P

    Heat from an A/C inverter calculation more than energy consumed?

    Hi guys can anyone please tell me that it is possible with an air conditioner of type inverter to put less energy than what the piece is receiving as heat. So let's say that on the inverter it says output KWh/ input KWh =4. Henthalpy= G+TS 4*Hinput= Houtput inside the house So to heat my...
  19. K

    Two-Antenna Method for Gain Calculation

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  20. M

    What is the purpose of r hat in physics?

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  21. H

    MHB Derivative Calculation: f'(x) & Increase/Decrease

    Have a function f(x)=4x^3-x^4 Found the x values are X -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 , 4, f(Y) -5, 0, 3, 16, 27, 0 i Need to find f^{\prime}(x) and find where it incteases and decreases??f`(x)= 3*4x^2-4x^3=4x^2(3-x) what to Next?
  22. C

    Should I Use Total or Partial Differentiation in Absolute Error Calculation?

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  23. R

    Scissors Jack Lift Calculation

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  24. R

    Scissors Jack lift calculation

    What formula would I use to calculate the lift force of a Jack Screw when I know the force exerted on the linear screw? It would be similar to the Jack used to lift a car.
  25. A

    Projectile motion-range calculation

    1. the surface of a hill is inclined at α to horizontal,a stone is thrown from the top of the hill at initial speed u at angle β with vertical line. How far from the top will the stone strike the ground? 2. R=(u^2 sin2θ)\g or by rotational co ordinate geometry3. can't prove that the dist...
  26. A

    MHB Convolution - calculation and drawing

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  27. N

    How Do You Calculate Air Pressure with Varying Flow Rates and Orifice Sizes?

    I have a basic airflow question and my mind is in the fog. I'm trying to find the air pressure at a known flow rate and orifice size but I'm having issues with the unit conversions. I'm using Bernoulli's equation Pressure = 1/2 x Air Density x Flow Rate/Area. My Flow Rate is in L/M and the area...
  28. ajayguhan

    Isentropic Compression of Saturated Water: Workdone Calculation

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  29. G

    Spherical shape surface area calculation

    Homework Statement Homework Equations [/B] Surface area of sphere = 4*Pi*r^2, where r: is the radius of the sphere circleThe Attempt at a Solution Solution:[/B] 1. In terms of “r” and “R”, and the radius of sphere “S”, and “d”: Given that: · Surface area of both shaded area are equal...
  30. skate_nerd

    Small question about atomic form factor calculation

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  31. B

    How to think of an interesting and useful calculation to do

    I am wondering what the first steps are to finding an interesting calculation, and doing it. My adviser seems concerned only with me writing my thesis to hurry up and get me out of the program, rather than helping me develop my CV and involving me in other calculations he may be doing. It seems...
  32. M

    Measuring varied power per revolution of a bicycle crank/chainring

    A bicyclist applies varied force and velocity on their pedals as it goes around one revolution. The power distribution over one revolution is like two waves with the higher power being made on the downstrokes. The push through the bottom/top produces the lowest power. The question is does...
  33. D

    Ascorbic Acid Amount Calculation (stoichiometry/)

    1. Ascorbic acid in vitamin tablet Vitamin tablets with advertised contents including 750 mg ascorbic acid were analysed. A student took a whole tablet, crushed and dissolved all of it in water. He then diluted the tablet solution to a final volume of 250.0 mL. The student analysed 20.0 mL...
  34. K

    Redox titration end point calculation -- Help please

    Homework Statement A student weighs by difference 0.1956 g of sodium oxalate into a 100 ml Volumetric flask and dilutes to the mark 10 ml of HCl and 90 ml of distilled water. Approximately how many ml's of 0.02 M KMnO4 would be required to reach the equivalence point of the titration...
  35. K

    Heat transfer calculation problem

    I must be doing something wrong here but I cannot figure out what it is1. Homework Statement An insulated beaker with negligible mass contains a mass of 0.350kg of water at a temperature of 70.1∘C. How many kilograms of ice at a temperature of − 11.6∘C must be dropped in the water to make the...
  36. P

    Calculation of the mass springs system

    I want to simulate such a system in Simulink. It is a system of mass between two compression, spring preload. Springs are compressed length of 64 mm to 54 mm. Acts on mass shock 50G for 10ms. The coefficient of spring constant is changed depending on the position and direction of movement mass...
  37. R

    Building a fold down door with torsion gas spring calculation

    I'm building a wall mounted cabinet, with a fold down door. It is for my grandson's slot car track, in his bedroom. The door is 3x7 feet and weighs approximately 40 lbs. It is mounted length wise, on the wall. I think I need tension or torsion gas springs, which pull instead of push. I don't...
  38. ChrisVer

    How can the symmetry factor for a diagram be quickly determined and verified?

    Can someone check the symmetry factor I've found in the following diagram and verify it? Do you know if there is any way to determine the SF of a diagram fast? So I have \phi_x which can be contracted with 4 \phi_w : 4 Then \phi_y which can be contracted with 3 \phi_w : 3 Then I have 2 \phi_w...
  39. T

    Op amp integrator. design calculation not matching experiment.

    For the above op amp circuit: Vin= squarewave with 10Vpp and 1kHz. C=0.01uF. Vcc and -Vcc is 15V and -15V. Using the above specs, I calculate R using these equations: Requirement: Create a triangle wave with output voltage Vo to be 10Vpp. This is a gain of 1. Using the above, I find...
  40. avito009

    Calculation of gravity near a black hole.

    Newtons Universal law of gravity equations are an excellent approximation when dealing with low velocities (i.e., velocities whose magnitude is much smaller than the speed of light) and when dealing with weak gravity fields (such as those found on Earth or around low-mass stars). The...
  41. B

    Finding the Probability of Flipping 500 Heads and Tails

    Homework Statement Suppose you flip 1000 coins, what is the probability of flipping exactly 500 heads and 500 tails. (Hint: First write down the formula for the total number of possible outcomes. Then, to determine the "multiplicity" of the 500-500 macro state, use stirlings...
  42. M

    Change order between integral and differential calculation

    Please help look at this picture and give me the answer please: are those right or not? In general look, when we can change the order between integral and differential...
  43. avito009

    Calculation the orbital period of Moon.

    Newton showed that if gravity at a distance R was proportional to 1/R2, then indeed the acceleration g measured at the Earth's surface would correctly predict the orbital period T of the Moon. (Remember Earths gravity causes the moon to orbit the Earth.) We can find the answer using MKS system...
  44. M

    Rules for Multiplying and Adding in Modulo # Calculation

    Hi, Are there any rules against multiplying or adding first when using modulo #? The reason I ask is because I'm doing the dot product for two vectors: [10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1].[8, 0 ,3 ,7, 0, 9, 9, 0, 2, 6] By doing this, I get: 80 + 0 + 24 + 49 + 0 + 45 + 36+ 0 + 4 + 6 =...
  45. B

    Finding Constants for Normalization Condition in Exponential Function

    Homework Statement Using the normalization condition, find the constants λ and a of: f(t)=ae^(-λt) Homework Equations integrate from t=-∞ to t=∞ of the function and set it equal to one The Attempt at a Solution I used to be good at these but something is slipping my...
  46. squelch

    Help with Cylinder Volume Calculation: Part C

    This is from a physics course, but felt more appropriate to post here. I just want some sanity checking on my procedure, since I'm not this far in my calculus course yet but am having to work through it anyway for physics. I have no idea how to approach part c, not even an inkling of where...
  47. B

    Calculation of the Natural Linewidth

    Hi, I am trying to understand how one determines the natural linewidth. On my assignment, I am only given an energy (589.1 nm transition in sodium). I have two sources that I have found that seem to contradict each other: Source 1: Slides 5 and 6 Source 2: Hyperphysics If I plug in...
  48. H

    Torque Calc: 300 FTLBS@400rpm, 36/18 Gear Ratio

    If I have a motor with 300 FTLBS. of torque at 400 rpm with a 36 tooth gear and the driven gear is 18 teeth what is my torque. Thanks' Ray M.
  49. J

    Coefficient of friction calculation

    Need to know about coefficient of friction for my exam. http://easycalculation.com/physics/classical-physics/friction-table.php This site shows coefficient of friction of various materials to materials. But no calculations are given. Can somebody help me on how to calculate the...
  50. marellasunny

    10S4P with Lithium ion battery; Question on the calculation

    I am planning to use the Panasonic NCR-18650 cylindrical cells for a BEV (Battery Electrical Vehicle). As it would be easier to buy ready-made modules, I have found a supplier selling a Li-ion pack that delivers 417 Wh(or in other words 11.6 Ah) at 36 V (something like what this guy uses...
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