Computer Science Canada

Problem: Value is too large!

Author:  rjavaid [ Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Problem: Value is too large!

Hi guys,

seemed easy enough when I first started to program it. It's been a little more than an hour now, trying to figure out how to correct these few lines of code. The problem is that the Energy being calculated ---> Energy = Mass * (C ^ 2) ---> is coming out to a very high value, and apparently VB doesn't like that. Here's my code, and help would be greatly appreciated!

By the way, I'm using VB Express
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Public Class Form1

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

End Sub


Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Dim Mass As Integer
Dim Energy As Integer
Dim Bulbs As Integer
Dim C As Double 'C is the speed of light


C = 300000000.0 ^ 2


Mass = TextBox1.Text ' User inputs a Mass in kg


Energy = Mass * (C ^ 2) ' Calculates the amount of Energy in Joules

TextBox2.Text = Energy


Bulbs = Energy / 360000 ' Calculates the number of 100W light bulbs that can be powered

TextBox3.Text = Bulbs

End Sub
End Class

Author:  chrisbrown [ Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:09 am ]
Post subject:  RE:Problem: Value is too large!

First, you are squaring C twice.

That won't fix your error though. The value of C^2 is more than an integer can handle, so a variable that is assigned to some multiple of C^2 needs to be able to handle numbers beyond the integer range.

Author:  Insectoid [ Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:44 am ]
Post subject:  RE:Problem: Value is too large!

I don't know if VB has a 'Long' data type, but that's what Java uses for huge numbers. You could also do clever math to shrink the numbers (divide C by 10000 or more) and then multiply the final answer by 10000. Or whatever would make the answer correct.

Author:  syntax_error [ Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:04 am ]
Post subject:  RE:Problem: Value is too large!

VB does support long and double if needed

Author:  faethor [ Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Problem: Value is too large!

Here, you are doing a calculation with Joules. To produce a smaller number, calculate it in Electron Volts. The conversion factor is 1J = 1.602?10^-19. The reason why you do c^2 is to make it a relativistic unit.

Author:  william 01 [ Thu Jan 06, 2011 9:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Problem: Value is too large!

what vb are you using? Question

Author:  Insectoid [ Thu Jan 06, 2011 9:54 pm ]
Post subject:  RE:Problem: Value is too large!

This thread is nearly a year old. OP hasn't posted more than once. Go away.


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