Using matrix/vector results in a function 1

[dslyecix]

Hello all!

I'm a pretty new mathcad user and I'm not familiar enough to find the solution to my problem alone. It should be pretty simple, it's just a matter of my not understanding how mathcad is using these variables (or lacking a programmer's mentality and ability to think the logic through).

I have a simple calculation to do, and then to plot. I would like mathcad to handle the automation of how long the equation is required to be based on an indicated variable. I've attached my sheet to hopefully illustrate my issue but I will explain a bit in detail here.

I have a set of loads, both the magnitude ('P') and the distance away from the endpoint of a beam ('a'). There might be one extra load, there could be three, it's arbitrary (and this is the problem I'm tackling now, the automation of this).

I want to replace an equation like M(x):= P1*a1 + P2*a2 + P3*a3 + ... with M(x):= Pi*ai. Mathcad doesn't seem to like this. I've tried messing around with adding/removing 'i' to different parts of the equations, to introducing sums, etc. I can't seem to get mathcad to agree that it makes sense what I am asking.

 

[IRstuff]

I can't open the file; it throws an error.

attached is what I think your'e looking for

http://files.engineering.com/getfil...8-63c4-4b7f-9227-fd8a42a28d1e&file=help2.xmcd

TTFN
faq731-376

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[dslyecix]

Thank you IRstuff! Not sure why my link didn't work, I probably should have just linked it in the text body (

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r18xnzz9rzctseo/help.xmcd).

Anyways, you were bang on, I just wasn't using the sum correctly. I can absolutely see why it works now that it's laid out in front of me. It was frustrating because I know I've done something similar on the past although I couldn't locate the worksheet.

Thanks again! Consider this thread closed.