Ask A Scientist© Mathematics Archive

name         elisabeth
status       student
age          18

Question -   What is a sinusoidal curve? What is a physical example of
something that would produce this curve?
------------------------------------------------
A sinusoidal curve is the graph of the sine function in trigonometry.  A
physical example is as follows:
Set a pen on the bob of a pendulum that is quite long.  Make sure the pen
just touches paper just below it.  Start the pendulum with a gentle, small
motion.  Pull the paper horizontally at a constant velocity under the
paper.  The path drawn is a sinusoidal curve.

This can be done in a similar method with a tuning fork, but is more
difficult to set up.

---Nathan A. Unterman
=================================================================