Which function would you use to load variables from a MAT-file?

The function used to load variables from a MAT-file is load(). This function allows you to import data stored in MATLAB’s binary format, which is commonly used to save variables and arrays. When invoked, load() reads the contents of a specified MAT-file and assigns the variables stored in it to the MATLAB workspace, making it easy to access the data for further analysis or manipulation.

Understanding the significance of this function is essential for effective data management in MATLAB, especially for engineering applications where data analysis and processing are critical. Other functions, while useful in different contexts, do not serve the same purpose. For instance, import() might be associated with importing data from different file formats, fetch() is generally related to obtaining data from databases or web services, and read() could imply various reading operations that do not specifically target MAT-files. Thus, recognizing the specialized role of load() in handling MATLAB's native data format is key to proper data handling in your engineering lab work.