The shape of the Eiffel Tower
Abstract
The distinctive shape of the Eiffel Tower is based on simple physics and is designed so that the maximum torque created by the wind is balanced by the torque due to the Tower's weight. We use this idea to generate an equation for the shape of the Tower. The solution depends only on the width of the base and the maximum wind pressure. We parametrize the wind pressure and reproduce the shape of the Tower. We also discuss some of the Tower's interesting history and characteristics.
- Publication:
-
American Journal of Physics
- Pub Date:
- February 2002
- DOI:
- 10.1119/1.1417530
- Bibcode:
- 2002AmJPh..70..160G
- Keywords:
-
- 01.50.-i;
- 47.40.-x;
- 06.30.Bp;
- Educational aids;
- Compressible flows;
- shock waves;
- Spatial dimensions