Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianTheMick2
The first time derivative of acceleration is jerk.
That's a good name for it. At one time I was convinced the best path for making a 90 degree turn was a quarter circle. I was assured by more knowledgeable people it was a parabola. After learning a little calculus I came to see that suddenly going into a circular path would amount to a discontinuous jump in acceleration. Just the kind of thing that would jerk a train off its tracks.
It's the same principle as adding weight to a string. If you do it gradually the string will hold. But if you jerk it suddenly the string will break.
PairTheBoard