Activity: Height & Weight

This activity will provide you and your partner with experience in translating algorithms into flowcharts. At the end of this activity, you will…

  • Be familar with the LucidChart application..
  • Be able to construct a basic flowchart from a simple algorithm.
  • Be able to document the functional description of the problem as flowchart comments.

Note: This assignment requires you to use the LucidChart ID and password you previously created. Please see the instructor if you do not have this information.

The Problem

Suppose your doctor needed a computer program to easily convert patient heights and weights into alternative units. The mathematics behind these conversions is well known and can easily be performed with a computer. If we limit ourselves to units of inches and meters (for height) and pounds and kilograms (for weight) we would need to know the following equivalencies:

1 inch = 0.0254 meters

and

1 pound = 0.45359237 kilograms

The Assignment

Given the previous discussion, suppose we were given the following algorithm and were asked to translate it into a flowchart:

algorithm

We could use the LucidChart application to this flowchart. Remember from our in-class discussion that the common flowchart symbols are as follows:

symbols

Now, let’s get a brief introduction to LucidChart. Watch and listen to the following video:

You are now ready to begin translating the algorithm into a LucidChart flowchart. Open the LucidChart application and create a new document. Some tips:

  • Since you will be working with a partner and will be submitting only one (1) document for the both of you, it would be a good idea to Share the document you create in LucidChart with your partner. Both of you can then work on the same document in real time.
  • You must add one text comment next to each flowchart symbol. These simple comments function as documentation for the flowchart. Your comments should describe, in English, what that step is doing.
  • Don’t forget to use the start (begin) and end terminators for the flowchart!

When you have completed the flowchart, download it as a PDF file (see the File menu in LucidChart) and upload it to the Canvas dropbox.