By utilizing the iterative capabilities of spreadsheets, students who do not have a programming background may obtain numerical solutions to complex equations. This paper discusses two examples of spreadsheet programming. One models the structure of a planet using a set of ordinary differential equations depending on the radius of the planet. The other involves coupled partial differential equations in a model of a planetary atmosphere. The results of the planetary models are compared to the values for Earth and Neptune. The results of the atmospheric model are compared to values for Earth’s atmosphere.
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2009
American Association of Physics Teachers
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