# Physics and Continuity Graphs

1. Feb 9, 2009

### science_rules

This is not a homework question--I am just curious to know if there are any connections between calculus graphs involving continuity (say, a hole in a graph, which we are studying in my first under-graduate Calculus course), and the types of limit problems used in physics. i understand that in physics, algebraic limits? are used (to find the derivative of things, such as for acceleration, i think), but i wonder if the cartesian continuity graphs are used in any type of physics problems. i hope this question doesnt sound stupid, and i hope that it's not too incoherent! my calc prof. mentioned that she once studied some statistics and said that she had to solve a (thermodynamics?) problem that involved "continuity", which i guess would be using a sort of physics problem using the continuity concept. it's just that i fail to see a connection between the kind of algebraic limits that physics uses to find acceleration and such, and the kinds of cartesian graphs that we are analyzing in calculus (such as, there is a line going through the graph, but the limit does not equal the function, etc.). is this just a purely mathematical thing, or what??