Error using mtimes

This is the script I am currently processing through MATLAB however it keeps returning me an error that says : ??? Error using ==> mtimes Inner matrix dimensions must agree.

Error in ==> Complexmodel at 12 T1=((elevator_mass+load_mass1)*g+X)*a;

My script:

g=9.81;
elevator_mass=1000;
load_mass1=1500;
load_mass2=2000;
load_mass3=2500;
safe_load=4500;
u=0.6:1:1.6;
a=0:1:10;
safty(1:11)=safe_load;
X=3.*u.^2;
xlabel_information='Elevator acceleration';
T1=((elevator_mass+load_mass1)*g+X)*a;
T2=((elevator_mass+load_mass2)*g+X)*a;
T3=((elevator_mass+load_mass3)*g+X)*a;
plot(a,T1,'b-o',a,T2,'g-o',a,T3,'k-o',a,safty,'.');
xlabel(xlabel_information)
ylabel('Cable Tension')
title('Tension vs Acceleration');
legend('load mass 1','load mass 2','load mass 3','Safe load');

[EDITED, JSimon, 09-Oct-2011 16:19 UTC] Code formatted - please do this by your own, see Markup help

Answer 1

[Jan]

You could use the debugger to locate the problem:

dbstop if error

Now MATLAB stops, if the error occurs and you can inspect the dimensions:

In: T1=((elevator_mass+load_mass1)*g+X)*a;
((elevator_mass+load_mass1)*g+X  => [1 x 2]
a => [1 x 11]

Of course the multiplication is not possible.

[Nourriee BB]

Im new to matlab so the range of data collected was given to me from a previous class I have done... I have no idea on how I may fix the equation :/

[Walter Roberson]

Andrei's version looks plausible, but you will need to decide whether you want .* (element by element multiplication) or if you want bsxfun() (create array with all of the combinations of values), or if you want to transpose one of the vectors and do a matrix multiplication.

[Nourriee BB]

if i were to do a matrix multiplication. What would I need to change in my script to make it possible?

[Walter Roberson]

if you have two vectors, A and B, each 1 x 11, then you can either do

A * B'

to get a 1 x 1 result,

or you can do

A' * B

to get an 11 x 1 result.

Answer 2

[Andrei Bobrov]

u=0.6:.1:1.6