Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

orthogonal trajectory

 - 2 dictionary results

orthogonal trajectory

–noun Mathematics.
the locus of a point whose path cuts each curve of a family of curves at right angles.

Origin:
1810–20
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To orthogonal trajectory
Encyclopedia

orthogonal trajectory

family of curves that intersect another family of curves at right angles (orthogonal; see ). Such families of mutually orthogonal curves occur in such branches of physics as electrostatics, in which the lines of force and the lines of constant potential are orthogonal; and in hydrodynamics, in which the streamlines and the lines of constant velocity are orthogonal

Learn more about orthogonal trajectory with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see orthogonal trajectory on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: