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Catenary and Parabola Comparison
Catenary and Parabola Comparison
Catenary and Parabola Comparison
Hi, Student.
The catenary and the parabola are two different curves that look
generally similar, in that they are symmetrical and have a cup shape,
going up infinitely on either side of a minimum. The parabola, in
its
simplest form, is
y = x^2
As for why the St. Louis arch, or a hanging cable, takes the shape of
a catenary, while the cables on a suspension bridge form a parabola,
that is just a result of the physics of each situation. Once you
have
learned calculus, you will be able to see that the catenary is the
solution to a differential equation that describes a shape that
directs the force of its own weight along its own curve, so that, if
hanging, it is pulled into that shape, and, if standing upright, it
can support itself. The parabola does not have the same property,
but
is the solution of other important equations that describe other
situations.