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18: The Catenary

Last updated

Aug 8, 2022
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- 17.13: A Damped Driven System
- 18.1: Introduction

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If a flexible chain or rope is loosely hung between two fixed points, it hangs in a curve that looks a little like a parabola, but in fact is not quite a parabola; it is a curve called a catenary, which is a word derived from the Latin catena, a chain.

18.1: Introduction
If a flexible chain or rope is loosely hung between two fixed points, it hangs in a curve that looks a little like a parabola, but in fact is not quite a parabola; it is a curve called a catenary, which is a word derived from the Latin catena, a chain.
18.2: The Intrinsic Equation to the Catenary
The intrinsic equation of the catenary is derived from considerations of a chain hanging from two fixed points.
18.3: Equation of the Catenary in Rectangular Coordinates, and Other Simple Relations
18.4: Area of a Catenoid

Thumbnail: The Saint Louis arch is a weighted catenary—its legs are wider than its upper section. (CC BY 2.0; Bev Sykes).

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