Co^tn'0vr Ca6r^nv')

6[*-^ ,n ur.n--+,,-(* "*^tr Jr.rb ur*Jq,r f -^f

befur1,- +lry -frv.) ftrtf ^"f"
(n
"t & 0l- sqr,,,ra t/r-r7,.^l )
-J1+ oAytly- -so fun b calJz) a.6^,^vu
a

A B - S?6^
CD-SA*
U
L Ve,rEx

T C-syr/l: A - tJ C
7-Axt!; t^-(

JC : {g^9
g[*rt-'
C tq^p !rr^f^)r*t'<-
 Conmton CutuurY | 19

$ 3.3. ShaPe of the CatenarY :

expanded fom as follows
The cartesian equation of the iatenary can be put in
:
th_e

I
)=.lr*zr[;'*' )* ,.[z]
,
t rr\t t tr\+ - I
l
,
1'- r
or. Y=c*-* uS* tt^

when c is very large, then above approximates to

t {
' = '*
or. .r2 =2c(y-c) which is the eqtration of a Parabola
.l-
^ rf)
,I
rvhose latus rectum is 2c. i.e. 2- becaltse 1,,-- rt'c
1.1',

whic6 is an even tunction of r i.e. occurs only in even powers,tlte curve is syrnnretrical
r
about the axis ofy or the vertical line through the lowest point of the catenary'
$ 3.4. ImPortant definitions
:
the axis of the catenary'
1. Axis of Catenary : The line of syrnmetry is called
in the eq,ation of tlre catenary is
rl
2. paramete* fnJ tin.u, rnagnitude'c' olcuring 1i
callecl the paranteter and determines its size'
Trvocatenariesaresaidtobeequalwhentheirparametersareequal.
.C,
3. Vertex : Tl-re lowest point of the catenary is called its'c'vertex. point belorv the lowest
4. Directrix : The axis of x or the horizontal line at a deptlr
of the catenary is called is directrix^
5. Span : When the ends l and B of the catenary are in the Sanne lnri:tlntal line. Ll.len
the distance ,48 is called the sPan'
Sag: The deptlr of the vertexbelow the horizontal linelB
is called t6e sag of the
6.
catenarY.
catenary
$ 3.5. Properties of the common
:

l. T cos \y = ,, =
lf \1 c
poinl of ttltc, tut.t.t, i.t !1t., rirt.titttt
i.e. the horizonta! con'tpanent oJ'the tensictn at every
at the lowesl poinl and is equal to tt'c
the origin and
(weight of tne siring tut ot.l.ngtt is the same as the distance betrveen
the vertcx).
2. TsinY=ws poittt is eclual to ra''s 1r'veiglrt of the
i.e. the vertical component of the tension at an.y
portion of the string lying between the vertex and the pointl'

$ 3.6. Various important relations

:

l. Relation between s and x'

s=c tan ry =cfr
dt ... (i)
We have

l=ccoshrc .. (2)
Also
... (i
Differentiating(2), *=t^ni
)

l-.rsing (3) in (l), we obtain

. l-lt
a="rinhi
2. Relation bctrveen s and 1'.
S,i;;lG fzj uno sr-rbtracting the square of (4)' we lrave /

_i_
 50 I S'TATICS

.),r -s2 = c2 [cosh21-sinh2 X)= r'.t

or y2 = cZ +sZ
3. Relation between Y and Y.
Using ( I ) in (5), we have

I Y2 --'2 +tl tun2 V =c2 (r+tun2

'Y)
or y2 -- ,2 r..2 y
y=csecv/ ... lq
.t. R.elation between x and rY. lJodhpur BE,q
Differentiating (1) wrt x, we have
t dstdw
dx
-=c.Sec-\ylrdt
-dv I rlr
or, sec !/ = c sec- t/7i I .
L ,/,
-
- lL
-

dx
or. t/
dv
-=CSeC
lntegrating both srdes, we have
c
I o* = Isec
rtr dty

or, .r = c log (secy + tan ry)+ l,

where I is the constant of integration'
Now at the lor,vest point rvlren x : 0. y : 0.
' (7) beconles 0=t iog(sec[]+ran0)+A
or, 0=<'log(l+0)+A =+ A=0.
.'. (7) beconres x = c log (sec rtrr+ tan rg)

5. Parametric equations of catenarY : IUdaipur BE.. {'rtu'

The equations (8) and (6)

x = c log (sec ry + tan \ll)
and )'=csecv
together form the parametric equations of the catenary.
T=wy
By $ 3.5 (l). we have TcosY=To=wc
ol' f = wcsec \y
0r T =tty tb

i.e. rhe tension at any point of' a ciorunrm calsrlary is equal to wy (weighl dl
string r.vhose length is equal to the height of the point above the x-axis or distan{
o''""'f]
+]:,:Ti"T"'n
i.e
""
thc tension at any point oJ.a comnxon catenary
,,, !. as
or r n t'ttries its heighr uhorrl
I
directrix.
Remark. If I, and I, are the tensions at the points whose heights abo ,",n"4{
are y, and yr, tlren