Julius Klatte <jku### [at] hotmailcom> wrote:
: I understand what the difference between spiral and helix is
: for POV, but I was just wondering what (as a language thing)
: the difference between a "spiral" and a "helix" is. I always
: thought they meant the same thing.

  Maybe I'm wrong, but this is what I have understood:
  AFAIK: A spiral is a line on a 2D plane which can be drawn this way:
start drawing a circle but increase the radius constantly. When you have
made a complete 360 degrees curve, you are a little bit farther away from
the center. Continue drawing and you get a spiral curve.
  A helix is a 3D line instead of 2D like the spiral. You can draw it this
way: start drawing a circle in the xy-plane, but instead of changing the
radius, keep it constant, but increase the z-coordinate, ie. the height.
When you have done a complete 360 degrees curve, you are still at the same
distance from the center axis, but a little bit higher from the plane.
Continue this way and you get a helix curve.
  A galaxy has typically a spiral shape, while a spring has a helix shape.

-- 
main(i){char*_="BdsyFBThhHFBThhHFRz]NFTITQF|DJIFHQhhF";while(i=
*_++)for(;i>1;printf("%s",i-70?i&1?"[]":" ":(i=0,"\n")),i/=2);} /*- Warp. -*/

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