Periodicity in Nature

Excerpts

• Periodicity in Nature

  the existence of successive events so analogous to each other that, without any straining of language, they may be termed recurrences of the same event.

• Periodicity in Nature

  Hence the velocity of the train has not been uniform, and on the average the velocity during the second period is twice that during the first period.

• Periodicity in Nature

  Thus the question as to whether the train has been running uniformly or not entirely depends on the standard of time which we adopt.

• Periodicity in Nature

  It has been one of the first tasks of science among civilized or semi-civilized nations, to fuse them into one coherent measure.

• Periodicity in Nature

  Any one wanting to upset a rocking stone will push “in tune” with the oscillations of the stone, so as always to secure a favourable moment for a push.

• Periodicity in Nature

  The presupposition of periodicity is indeed fundamental to our very conception of life.

• Periodicity in Nature

  Thus a pendulum has but one period of vibration, while a suspension bridge will have many.

Equations

Problems

No exercises in this chapter.