Brachistochrone
Race a cycloid against ramps and curves under gravity.
What is this?
An interactive brachistochrone demo. It compares paths between two points and shows why the curve of fastest descent is a cycloid, not the shortest geometric path.
How it works
Balls slide under gravity along different tracks. The cycloid drops steeply at first to gain speed, then uses that speed over the remaining distance, beating the straight line.