Sphere with Horizontal Cross-Section

Topic

3D Geometry

Description

This animation shows a sphere with a horizontal cross-section. It illustrates that any plane intersecting a sphere creates a circular cross-section, with the largest circle (the great circle) occurring when the plane passes through the center of the sphere.

Using animated math clip art like this helps students understand the internal structure of spheres. Teachers can use this to discuss concepts such as great circles, hemispheres, and how cross-sections relate to the volume of a sphere.

Here's a potential script for teachers: "Watch as we take horizontal cross-sections of this sphere. What shape do you see? How does the size of the cross-section change as we move from top to bottom? Can you identify the largest possible cross-section?"

For a complete collection of animated math clip art related to 3D Geometry click on this link: Animated 3D Geometry Collection.