Radial Curvature

Definition

Radial curvature refers to the curvature of a curve at a specific point, measured along the radius of the circle that best approximates the curve at that point. It describes how much a curve deviates from being a straight line.

Analogy

Imagine you are driving on a curved road and you want to know how sharp the turn is. The radial curvature is like measuring how much you have to turn your steering wheel to stay on the road without drifting off.

Related terms

Tangential Curvature: Tangential curvature measures how much a curve deviates from being a straight line when viewed in terms of its tangent line at a specific point.

Center of Curvature: The center of curvature is the center of the circle that best approximates a curve at any given point, representing where the curve would continue if it were part of a larger circle.

Radius of Curvature: The radius of curvature is the distance between the center of curvature and any given point on a curve, indicating how sharply or gradually it bends at that particular location.