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Title

An application of calculus: optimum parabolic path problem.

Authors

ATASEVER, MERVE; PAKDEMIRLI, MEHMET; YURTSEVER, HASAN ALI

Abstract

A practical and technological application of calculus problem is posed to motivate freshman students or juniory high school students. A variable coefficient of friction is used in modelling air friction. The case in which the coefficient of friction is a decreasing function of altitude is considered. The optimum parabolic path for a flying object for which the work done by variable coefficient air friction force is minimum is determined. If a flying object follows the determined path, energy requirement would be less compared with other parabolic or linear paths.

Subjects

CALCULUS education; MATHEMATICS education (Secondary); HIGH school students; PARABOLIC operators; ENERGY conservation

Publication

Teaching Mathematics & its Applications, 2009, Vol 28, Issue 3, p123

ISSN

0268-3679

Publication type

Academic Journal

DOI

10.1093/teamat/hrp015