CPB - The Mechanical Universe…and Beyond (1986) Part 9 Moving in Circles

The Mechanical Universe…and Beyond

This series helps teachers demystify physics by showing students what it looks like. Field trips to hot-air balloon events, symphony concerts, bicycle shops, and other locales make complex concepts more accessible. Inventive computer graphics illustrate abstract concepts such as time, force, and capacitance, while historical re-enactments of the studies of Newton, Leibniz, Maxwell, and others trace the evolution of theories. The Mechanical Universe helps meet different students' needs, from the basic requirements of liberal arts students to the rigorous demands of science and engineering majors. This series is also valuable for teacher professional development.

Part 9: Moving in Circles

The original Platonic ideal, with derivatives of vector functions. According to Plato, stars are heavenly beings that orbit the Earth with uniform perfection – uniform speed and perfect circles. Even in this imperfect world, uniform circular motion make perfect mathematical sense.