[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

RE: "particle" sliding along a curve

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg70541] RE: [mg70516] "particle" sliding along a curve
• From: "David Annetts" <davidannetts at aapt.net.au>
• Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 03:22:03 -0400 (EDT)

Hi Mattiephly

> Hi there.  I'd like to create a Mathematica plot that 
> displays a "particle" -- which will just be a small, black 
> circle -- "sliding"
> along a curve.  That is, when I execute the Plot command, I'd 
> like to watch as the particle moves along the curve from one 
> point to another.
> I've looked at the help documents for the built in Animation 
> abilities, but I'm not sure how to make use of them.  Do I 
> really have to create a single plot for several positions of 
> the particle, and then animate those consecutively?
> For example, I'd like my particle to slide along the parabola 
> y = x^2, and I'd like the particle to "slide" from x = -5 to 
> 5 (though maybe show the curve from x = -10 to 10).  And I'd 
> like to be able to control the "speed" of the particle, too.

Both Dave Park & Helen Read have published some excellent examples of this
sort of thing.

Have a look at Elastic Collision Animation at
http://home.earthlink.net/~djmp/Mathematica.html on Dave Park's site or
search for Helen Read's posting of an animated Ferris wheel on Mathgroup.

Regards,

Dave.