SimuLab 2: Covering a Coastline

You need the Coastline program to complete this SimuLab. You can download it to your computer or use it online in a Java applet.	Download Coastline:
			Java
	Mac OS 7.x	Windows 95/98/NT/2000

Now let the computer help you carry out the grid method quickly and easily.

1. Call up the Coastline program again.


2. From the File menu, select Open and call up the coastline you saved earlier.


3. Under the Measure menu, choose Using Grid. The size control allows you to adjust the size of the grid.


4. Click on the Manual Measure button, as you did previously.


5. Click on every grid square in which any part (even a very small piece) of the coastline shows. When you are done, the resulting set of grid squares should completely cover the coastline. Click on Done.


6. Try another grid size. This time click on Auto Measure and let the computer cover the coastline. Each result will be entered into the data table automatically.


7. Let the computer cover the coastline with grids of a variety of sizes. When you have used as many grids as you want, click on Done Measuring.


8. Now have the computer analyze the data using a log-log plot to find the dimension of your coastline according to the grid method.


9. Compare the value of the dimension measured using the grid method with the value of the dimension you obtained earlier using the ruler method.


10. Using Save in the File menu, save your coastline under a new name. You will need this file later.


11. Summarize this part of the project by entering values of dimension for both coastlines in a copy of Table 2.3.