ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Arcs of Descent and Ascent

Imagine you are playing with a toy car on a big playground slide. When the car goes down the slide, it follows a curved path. This curved path is called an "arc of descent." It is the path that the toy car follows as it slides down the slide.

Similarly, when the toy car goes up the slide, it follows another curved path. This curved path is called an "arc of ascent." This is the path that the toy car follows as it climbs up the slide.

Arcs of descent and ascent are important because they help objects move smoothly and efficiently. The curved path helps to control the speed of the object as it moves up or down. For example, if the slide was completely straight, the toy car would move very quickly and might even fall off the edge. But because the slide has an arc of descent and ascent, the toy car moves more slowly and safely.

In real life, many things move along arcs of descent and ascent. For example, airplanes follow an arc of descent as they come in for a landing, and rockets follow an arc of ascent as they launch into space. These arcs help the vehicles to move safely and efficiently through the air.