You are to simulate the motion of a really tired student. The student is standing on one side of a field and his residence is on the other side. The residence is 50m wide and the field 100m across (distance from road to the residence). Assume the student is opposite the middle of the residence. Due to his state he cannot walk in a straight path. Each second the student attempts to take a step. There is a 25% chance that the student will go left, a 20% chance the student will go right, a 10% chance the student will stand still, and a 45% chance the student will go forward. Assume the student does not go backwards. If the student’s position exceeds the width of the field on either side he stumbles into the road and does not make it home. If he makes it across he is safe. Write a VPython program to simulate this motion. Plot a graph showing the student’s path for a large number of trials. What is
You are to simulate the motion of a really tired student. The student is standing on one side of a field and his residence is on the other side. The residence is 50m wide and the field 100m across (distance from road to the residence). Assume the student is opposite the middle of the residence. Due to his state he cannot walk in a straight path. Each second the student attempts to take a step. There is a 25% chance that the student will go left, a 20% chance the student will go right, a 10% chance the student will stand still, and a 45% chance the student will go forward. Assume the student does not go backwards. If the student’s position exceeds the width of the field on either side he stumbles into the road and does not make it home. If he makes it across he is safe. Write a VPython program to simulate this motion. Plot a graph showing the student’s path for a large number of trials. What is his probability of success? For 100, 500 and 1000 steps what are the success probabilities?
- Consider how you will determine the probability of success i.e. what is missing from the question.
- How will you decide which way the student has moved?
- How will you decide if the students gets into the road on the left and the right?
- How will you decide if the student wonders around on the field before collapsing?
- How does this modelling approach relate to physical processes such as diffusion?
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