Why doesn't an elephant smoke?
2 answers:
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Answer:
Step-by-step explanation:
A <u>helix</u> is a curve for which the tangent makes a constant angle with a fixed line. The shortest path between two points on a cylinder (one not directly above the other) is a fractional turn of a helix, as can be seen by cutting the cylinder along one of its sides, flattening it out, and noting that a straight line connecting the points becomes helical upon re-wrapping (see attached diagram for helix).
The parametrization for the helix is
where is the radius of the helix,
is the constant, and
is the parameter
