In Praise of the Catenary

• F. Behroozi ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Northern Iowa

     University of Northern Iowa

     City of Cedar Falls, Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: The Physics Teacher, ISSN 0031-921X, Vol. 56, Nº. 4, 2018, págs. 214-217
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • When a chain hangs loosely from its end points, it takes the familiar form known as the catenary. Power lines, clothes lines, and chain links are familiar examples of the catenary in everyday life. Nevertheless, the subject is conspicuously absent from current introductory physics and calculus courses. Even in upper-level physics and math courses, the catenary equation is usually introduced as an example of hyperbolic functions or discussed as an application of the calculus of variations. We present a new derivation of the catenary equation that is suitable for introductory physics and mathematics courses.