Copy of Interpreting Curvature

What specific quantity does curvature measure? This worksheet only considers circles, but it illustrates the connection between curvature and the rate at which the unit tangent vector changes direction. I don't get nearly as dizzy chasing my dog around my house as I do chasing him around my coffee table. My body rotates considerably faster going around the coffee table because the curvature of the path that I take is so much greater than that going around my house. This is in spite of the fact that the paths are essentially the same shape.

 

Jon Christensen

 
Resource Type
Activity
Tags
Target Group (Age)
17 – 19+
Language
English
 
 
 
© 2024 International GeoGebra Institute