🧄A Study of Helical Trajectories and Vector Dynamics

Helical motion is a clear example of how complex movement can be broken down into simpler, independent components. The interactive visualization makes this a tangible concept by showing the object's path, velocity, and acceleration vectors in real-time. By manipulating the parameters, you can directly observe how the constant speed along the z-axis and the uniform circular motion in the xy-plane combine to create the helix. This highlights that while the object's speed may be constant, its velocity vector is continuously changing direction, resulting in a non-zero centripetal acceleration that always points towards the center of the helical path. The demo effectively bridges the gap between the abstract mathematical equations and the concrete physical behavior they describe.

🎬a 3D simulation of an object moving in a helical path

🧄Mathematical Proof

A Study of Helical Trajectories and Vector Dynamics | Proof and Derivationviadean on Notion