What is a Cycloid?

y A cycloid is a curve generated by a point on the circumference of the circle as the circle rolls along a straight line with out slipping. y The moving circle is called the "Generating circle" and the straight line is called the "Directing line" or the "Base line". y The point on the Generating circle which generates the curve is called the "Generating point"

Construction of a Cycloid Step1: Draw the generating circle and the base line equal to the circumference of the generating circle Step 2 : Divide the circle and the base line in to equal number of parts. also erect the perpendicular lines from the division of the line

Step 3: with your compass set to the radius of the circle and centers as C1,C2,C3,.... etc cut the arcs on the lines from circle through 1,2,3, .. etc. Step 4: locate the points which are produced by cutting arcs and joining by a smooth curve.

By joining these new points you will have created the locus of the point P for the circle as it rotates along the straight line with out slipping As our final result is a cycloid