CS U216 -- Algorithms and Data Structures for Engineers

Assignment 1

Due 11 May, 2005

Write a C++ program that prompts for and reads a patient's name, weight in pounds, and height in feet and inches, and then calculates and displays the patient's name, mass in kilograms, height in meters, and Body Mass Index (BMI). For example:

What is the patient's name? Arnolda
What is the patient's weight in pounds? 100
What is the patient's height in feet and inches? 5 1

Arnolda's weight is about 45.36 kilograms.
Arnolda's height is about 1.5494 meters.
Arnolda's BMI is approximately 18.89495851015352.

May I close this console window? y

In the example above, the italic or slanted text represents input typed by a user of the program. The rest of the text represents the prompts and other output of the program.

Requirements

• The program must run the example above almost exactly as shown. The only variations allowed are in the calculated numbers, which may vary slightly from one computer system to another.
• The program must run similar examples similarly, with the only changes coming in the name of the patient and in the numbers that are provided by the user or calculated by the program.
• The purpose of the last question is to prevent the program from terminating before the user has had a chance to read the program's output. The program should accept any answer to that question, and should terminate after the "Enter" key has been typed following that answer.
• The program is not responsible for detecting or recovering from incorrect inputs.

Background Information

A person's Body Mass Index (BMI) is defined to be the person's mass m in kilograms divided by the square of the person's height h in meters. In C++ this calculation would be written as m / (h * h).

There are still a few corners of the world where the old English system of measures remains in use. In the United States, the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 declared the International System of Units (SI) to be the preferred system for trade and commerce, but many citizens continue to think in terms of pounds and inches. This program accomodates them.

One pound corresponds to approximately 453.6 grams, which is .4536 kilograms. One inch corresponds to 2.54 centimeters, which is .0254 meters. One foot equals twelve inches. Hence:

• To convert pounds to kilograms, multiply by .4536.
• To convert feet to inches, multiply by 12.
• To convert inches to meters, multiply by .0254.

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Last updated 6 May 2005.