PHYS 7306: Introduction to Astronomy

Explore the world of collectible stamps as we delve into the story of the rare 1918 'Jenny' stamp and its astonishing auction price. Join us to learn about the use of a simple magnifying glass to examine this valuable collectible and discover how to calculate its focal length.

Analyze the physics of a falling squirrel, calculating its velocity upon hitting the ground and the deceleration due to limb bending.

Unpack the concept of normal force on a sports car and its driver atop a hill. Utilize Newton's second law to calculate these forces based on speed and hill curvature. Discover the speed at which the driver feels weightless in the car.

Join us in a lunar leap! We estimate how gravity affects jumping distance on the Moon compared to Earth, with the same takeoff speed and angle. Explore the moon's reduced gravity and its impact on human capabilities.

Learn how to calculate the kinetic energy of a Saturn 5 rocket with an Apollo spacecraft attached using physics principles and formulas. Understand the importance of unit conversion and the work-energy theorem as you plug values into the KE = 1/2 mv² formula. Discover that the kinetic energy for this rocket and spacecraft combo is an astonishing 1.82 x 10¹³ Joules.