Observing the way a watering hose is wrapped on a rotating cylinder, a catenary shape is detected for the suspended portion of the hose. We calculate the angle α the tangent to the curve at the highest point of the suspended portion makes with the horizontal. By means of this quantity, the length of the suspended and dragged portions of the hose and the work done to retrieve the hose can be found. The problem may be solved by means of Newtonian mechanics, adopting elementary notions of calculus and trigonometry.
Some mathematics and physics in the garden
DE LUCA, Roberto
2012-01-01
Abstract
Observing the way a watering hose is wrapped on a rotating cylinder, a catenary shape is detected for the suspended portion of the hose. We calculate the angle α the tangent to the curve at the highest point of the suspended portion makes with the horizontal. By means of this quantity, the length of the suspended and dragged portions of the hose and the work done to retrieve the hose can be found. The problem may be solved by means of Newtonian mechanics, adopting elementary notions of calculus and trigonometry.File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.
I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
