While working on this project we, as a group, learned and used many calculus ideas and concepts.
For example, the relationships between the intrados and the extrados.
Also that to find the centroid you must use the equations El = fc - Y and
Y = A ( Cosh( C X / L ) - 1 ).
Angela (not in the Arch Group) and Adam looking over the
blueprints at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (JNEM) Library.
Another concept that we learned was that all cross-sections perpendicular to a tangent line on the
centroid are equilateral triangles.
We learned more information on hyperbolic functions also, and how they apply to the arch. We would
urge any calculus student to study these problelms/project to learn more about hyperbolic functions,
learn more about this wonderful monument, and appreciate all the hard work that those engineers had
to go through
calculating all those values without computers. Ahhhhh!!!! :) Can you imagine how much time, money,
and resources could have been saved if they had the software we had today?
We also learned how to use Microsoft's Excel program to create data sheets easily. We can put equations in a column head and drag them down to get values throughout the column. This is a very helpful and useful program.
All the equations used are on the Arch page.
Copyright © 2001 with all rights reserved by Derek Ward and William V. Thayer.