Activity: Contour Maps Lecture (editing)

Prerequisite concepts
Instructor guide http://physics.oregonstate.edu/BridgeBook/book:math:level

Contour Maps Lecture

Representations used

Contour Maps
3D computer model

Concepts taught

The magnitude of the gradient is proportional to the density of contour lines
Contour Maps

As adjacent contour lines represent equal changes in the function, the denser the contour lines, the quicker the function is changing. Therefore, the magnitude of the gradient is greater where the contour lines are denser.