| DesignSurfer > Design > Order of Magnitude | |
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Order-of-magnitude calculations can help you to get a feel for a design task, especially early in a design task. We suggest you try the following types of order-of-magnitude calculation. |
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| Magnitude |
How large, how fast, how many, how often, ... (Is it 20 tons per year or 200 tons per day?) |
| Basic Laws |
Check Basic Laws of Physics and other Laws of Nature (Newton's Laws; Laws of Thermodynamics, ... ) |
| Simplify |
Make simplfying assumptions - this makes calculation easy.
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| Check Units | Was that inches or cm? (Don't become another Mars Climate Orbiter) |
| Check Results | Always ask:- Does the number or answer make sense? |
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Last updated 13 December 1999 |
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