Category: Physics

Why do rooms echo? An echo is caused by sound waves bouncing off a hard surface so that you hear the same sound again. Large rooms in homes can create echoes, especially if the room has mostly hard, bare surfaces, high ceilings or does not have much furniture. What helps with echo in a room? […]

Is filming on a plane Illegal? For example, American Airlines’ photography policy strictly prohibits “photography or video recording of airline personnel, equipment, or procedures.” United, Delta and Southwest have similar policies. However, even if a passenger films without permission, there is no law against taking video or photographs on a plane. Can you take pictures […]

How do you remember thermodynamic relations? A mnemonic used by students to remember the Maxwell relations (in thermodynamics) is “Good Physicists Have Studied Under Very Fine Teachers”, which helps them remember the order of the variables in the square, in clockwise direction. How do you remember Gibbs free energy? The equation often seen for Gibbs […]

How much energy is in the atmosphere? On average, 340 watts per square meter of solar energy arrives at the top of the atmosphere. Earth returns an equal amount of energy back to space by reflecting some incoming light and by radiating heat (thermal infrared energy). How does energy transfer in a TV? A television […]

What speed is 4000 rpm? 80 mph = 4000 RPM. How do you measure driveshaft speed? To check for critical speed, calculate this equation: Top speed x 336 (a constant) x rear ratio (like 4.10), then divide it by the tire height (28” tall tire). Here is an example: Top speed is 160mph x 336 […]

What are the 2 types of machines? There are basically six types of machine: The inclined plane. – used for raising a load by means of a smaller applied force. The lever. – involves a load, a fulcrum and an applied force. The pulley. – In simplest form it changes the direction of a force […]

What is a very big number? The Enormous Numbers: Googol and Googolplex A googol has 100 zeros and is expressed as 10100. Quite simply, a googol is used to define a googolplex. A googolplex is 10 to the power of googol, a number that boggles the mind. In fact, a googolplex is so large that […]

What does 100 humidity feel like? If the air is at 100 percent relative humidity, sweat will not evaporate into the air. If the air temperature is 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 C) and the relative humidity is 100 percent, we feel like it’s 80 degrees (27 C) out, and you start praying that you had […]

Why are river basins important to humans? Why Basins Are Important Basins are vital to human existence, since they provide clean water for drinking; water for growing food; and water to nourish plant life, which provides the oxygen people breathe. What is the difference between river basin and water divide? A river basin collects water […]

Has there ever been a death at Cedar Point? On August 13, 2015, a 45-year-old man was killed by the roller coaster after going into the ride’s restricted area to retrieve a dropped cell phone. He was struck in the back of the head by a passing train. Park emergency crews attempted to revive him, […]