Plotting Simple Pendulum in MATLAB: Tutorials & Tips

In summary, the person is asking for guidance on how to plot a simple pendulum in MATLAB. They have found the equation of motion and have declared the necessary variables. They are asking for help on how to incorporate the function "ode45" to solve the problem. They also mention a MATLAB support article that may be helpful.
  • #1
tigertan
25
0
I'm really confused at the moment and would quite appreciate some guidance.

I've got little to no background in Matlab and am needing to plot a simple pendulum.

I have found the equation of motion which is q(doubledot) = -(g/l)sin(beta)

I don't know how to go about this?

After declaring the variables:

runtime = 50; %duration of simulation in seconds
g = 9.8;
startingangle = 20; %starting angle in degrees
initialvelocity = 0;
length = 1;


How do I go about this?
Does anyone have any good tutorials to help me out?

I know I need to incorporate some function called ode45..
 
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  • #2
ode45 is the runge-kutta ordinary differential equation solver basically you need to provide a step function that it can then call repeatedly to integrate it and generate a solution.

Here's some info from MATLAB support that may help:

http://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/ode113.html?BB=1
 

Related to Plotting Simple Pendulum in MATLAB: Tutorials & Tips

1. How do I plot a simple pendulum in MATLAB?

To plot a simple pendulum in MATLAB, you can use the plot function. First, define the variables for the pendulum's length, mass, and initial angle. Then, use the equations of motion to calculate the pendulum's position over time. Finally, use the plot function to plot the pendulum's position over time.

2. How can I customize the plot of a simple pendulum in MATLAB?

There are several ways to customize the plot of a simple pendulum in MATLAB. You can change the color and style of the plot using the plot function's optional input arguments. You can also add a title, axis labels, and a legend to the plot using the title, xlabel, ylabel, and legend functions, respectively. Additionally, you can adjust the plot's size and aspect ratio using the figure function.

3. How do I simulate the motion of a simple pendulum in MATLAB?

To simulate the motion of a simple pendulum in MATLAB, you can use the ode45 function. This function uses numerical integration to solve the differential equations of motion for the pendulum. You can specify the initial conditions and time span for the simulation, as well as any other parameters such as damping or external forces.

4. How can I plot multiple pendulums on the same graph in MATLAB?

To plot multiple pendulums on the same graph in MATLAB, you can use the hold function. This allows you to plot multiple lines on the same figure without erasing the previous ones. You can also use the subplot function to create a grid of plots, each showing the motion of a different pendulum.

5. Is there a way to animate the motion of a simple pendulum in MATLAB?

Yes, there are several ways to animate the motion of a simple pendulum in MATLAB. One option is to use the plot function in a loop to update the position of the pendulum over time. Another option is to use the animatedline function, which allows you to add points to a line as the simulation progresses. You can also use the VideoWriter function to create a video of the pendulum's motion.

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