Section 8: Program Branching and Controls

93

Examples

Example: Branching and Looping

A radiobiology lab wants to predict the diminishing radioactivity of a test amount of 131I, a radioisotope. Write a program to figure the radioactivity at 3-day intervals until a given limit is reached. The formula for Nt, the amount of radioisotope remaining after t days, is

Nt = No (2-t/k),

where k = 8 days, the half-life of 131I, and N0 is the initial amount.

The following program uses a loop to calculate the number of millicuries (mci) of isotope theoretically remaining at 3-day intervals of decay. Included is a conditional test to check the result and end the program when radioactivity has fallen to a given value (a limit).

The program assumes t1 – the first day of measurement – is stored in R0, N0

the initial amount of isotope – is stored in R1, and the limit value for radioactivity is stored in R2.

Keystrokes

Display

 

 

¥

000-

 

Program mode.

´ CLEAR M

000-

 

(Optional.)

´ b A

001-42,21,11

Each loop returns to this

 

 

 

line.

l 0

002-

45 0

Recalls current t which

 

 

 

changes with each loop.

´ ©

003-

42 31

Pauses to display t.

8

004-

8

k

÷

005-

10

 

006-

16

–t/k.

2

007-

2

 

®

008-

34

2–t/k.

Y

009-

14

Page 93
Image 93
HP 15c Scientific manual Example Branching and Looping