Learning c++ programming through physics?

[mishima]

I was wondering some things I could try to increase my skill in programming using physics problems. I'm not interested in a physics engine or anything super advanced like that, just some fun programming projects (ie the physics makes it fun, for me).

I would say I'm still a beginner in C++ programming. I've built robots and other sensor type projects with Arduino and LEGO mindstorms (using Bricx IDE). Both of those use code similar to C++. The most advanced program I've ever written was just a thing that converted altitude and azimuth into galactic coordinates (using trig, not proper rotation matrices). My programming class for my physics degree 10 years ago was C++.

Before I always needed an electronics connection to keep my interest in code, but recently I've been using Mathematica as I work through physics books for self-study and find it highly enjoyable. I'm not sure if computational physics is something I would be interested in or not, or how fun doing computational physics with c++ could be. I don't really know the possibilities for my level, can someone fill me in?

I suppose the goal would be to crack a random undergraduate physics text, pick a random problem, and write a c++ program that allows me to play with the situation.

 

[R.Mesri]

Here are some ideas:1. Create a program that simulates the motion of a particle in two dimensions, taking into account forces like gravity and friction.2. Create a program to simulate the behavior of an ideal gas, including pressure, temperature, and volume.3. Create a program to simulate the behavior of a damped harmonic oscillator, including the effects of friction and damping.4. Create a program to simulate the motion of a rocket, taking into account the thrust, mass, and drag from the atmosphere.5. Create a program to simulate the motion of a simple pendulum, taking into account the effects of gravity and damping.6. Create a program to simulate the motion of a system of particles interacting via Newtonian gravity, including the effects of gravitational waves.7. Create a program to simulate the motion of a charged particle in a magnetic field, taking into account the Lorentz force.8. Create a program to simulate the behavior of a wave, including the effects of diffraction, interference, and superposition.9. Create a program to simulate the behavior of light, including the effects of refraction and reflection.10. Create a program to simulate the behavior of a system of coupled oscillators, including resonance and damping.