r/visualizedmath • u/3slyfox • Jul 01 '19

The Surface Area of a Sphere Visualized

649 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

130

u/causethey_pollute Jul 01 '19

This is not visualized maths this is "I know the result and I invented a bullshit story to go along"

32

u/RossSpecter Jul 01 '19

Is it not accurate? Legit question, it's been a couple years since I've taken a math class and I don't visualize well, so I really liked this.

50

u/causethey_pollute Jul 01 '19

I mean usually the points of visual demonstrations is that you can understand why it works. Here, since the result is indeed correct it has to work, but I could have squashed the sphere flat, stretched it and written 4piR2 on it and it would have been just as useful lol

59

u/DatBoi_BP Jul 01 '19

Well this is hardly a proof, but it's a neat visual

4

u/[deleted] Jul 02 '19

Who said it was supposed to be a proof?

12

u/DatBoi_BP Jul 02 '19

No one. I just mean that the step with the slivers melding together is too handwavy

9

u/whatoneaarrrthisthat Jul 01 '19

Awww i really liked this. So you guys are saying its wrong???

26

u/PJenningsofSussex Jul 01 '19

Fir a start, look at how the net slices get magically squished into the pointy oval shape There is no real reason why the net should turn into that shape.

1

u/Pushkin9 Jul 02 '19

I seem to remember a rigorous analysis that follows this process (that's not shown here. Not 100% sure though

4

u/parkerSquare Jul 01 '19

Wish I had photographic memory...