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What happens when you take some basic, introductory physics and apply them to cool things you see? Dot Physics happens. This blog looks at movies, experiments, demos and other topics typically aimed at the introductory physics level.
Rhett Allain is an Associate Professor of Physics at Southeastern Louisiana University. He
enjoys teaching and talking about physics. Sometimes he takes things apart and can't
put them back together.
June 30, 2010
Category: acceleration
In this fan cart (made by Eric Ayars - who was at NC State when I was there), the arduino tells the fan when to turn on and off by sensing magnets on the track.
Posted by Rhett Allain at 1:58 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 27, 2010
Category: Demo
Sometimes I get asked to do some demos for kids. I like this, it is fun. This week, I was asked to do just such a demo. Kind of as a historical record, I am going to document what I did.
Posted by Rhett Allain at 2:28 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 25, 2010
Category: air resistance
The oil spill is still in the news (sadly). One thing that keeps coming up is the speed that the oil bubbles rise to the surface. This is important in different oil-capture methods. The common statement is that smaller bubbles of oil can take quite a long time to reach the surface and larger bubbles can take about 2 days.
Posted by Rhett Allain at 11:16 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 24, 2010
Category: math
I was having a discussion with my father about the budgetpocalypse for universities. I don't know how it came up, but he asked: "What college is the department of Math in?"
Posted by Rhett Allain at 10:13 AM • 18 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: education
The Louisiana Board of Regents is promoting a 'performance-based' funding model for the universities in the Louisiana system.
Posted by Rhett Allain at 8:38 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 21, 2010
Category: Analysis
Clearly Arnold is strong, but there is more than strength involved here. Oh, don't bring your "he did it with wire stuff". I am not buying that. Also, I am talking about THE Arnold - he is real. I am not talking about the character in the movie (not real). Now for some physics.
Posted by Rhett Allain at 1:55 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 16, 2010
Category: Analysis
The myth for this particular clip was that guns never run out of ammo in the movies. Right away, I thought: I wonder how many bullets he shot? BRING IT ON.
Posted by Rhett Allain at 10:10 PM • 12 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 15, 2010
Category: charge
Suppose there were two point charges, both positive but one is held in place. If I hold the other point charge a distance r away from the other charge and let go, what will happen?
Posted by Rhett Allain at 5:31 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 14, 2010
Category: education
t appears you are teaching 2 sections of lab. One lab only has 13 students enrolled in it. We have determined that it is not financially appropriate for us to give you a full course pay for this partially full lab. We are going to pay you 13/15th of the previously agreed on payment for this course. Have a good day.
Posted by Rhett Allain at 10:35 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: charge
In this most basic form, the energy is just kinetic energy (if you are not going near the speed of light). BUT...if you have a force that is conservative (meaning the work done does not depend on the path you take), then you can make it a potential energy and move it to the other side
Posted by Rhett Allain at 1:12 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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