Re: Isn't it the limit?

[SCIAMANDA@edinboro.edu]

Bob Sciamanda wrote:
> The area of the spherical triangle with apex at the pole and base, 
> of length L, along the equator is given by:
>
> A = R*L,  for 0 <= L <= 2*Pi*R        , where R=the radius of the sphere.
>
> Since this is true for L -> zero, it is evident that in no way does 
> this figure approach a plane triangle.

In fact, its area always behaves identically to a RECTANGLE (because of the 
spherical "bulge"), and as the two ends of the base approach each other 
(L -> zero), its shape also looks more and more like a RECTANGLE.

Bob Sciamanda           sciamanda@edinboro.edu
Dept of Physics
Edinboro Univ of PA     http://www.edinboro.edu/~sciamanda/home.html