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Descending from A to B along the Quickest Path
- Source :
-
Physics Education . Sep 2022 57(5). - Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- A simple experiment is described to compare the descent time between two vertically separated points when an object slides down tracks of varying shape. A surprising result is that the descent time is shortest when it follows a circular track rather than a cycloidal track. Cycloidal tracks are usually predicted to result in the shortest descent time, but only if friction is negligible.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0031-9120 and 1361-6552
- Volume :
- 57
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- ERIC
- Journal :
- Physics Education
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- EJ1359699
- Document Type :
- Journal Articles<br />Reports - Descriptive
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/ac82a1