PHYS 250: Fund Physics: Modern Physics

Discover the math behind car spring oscillations when driving over bumps. Understand how a car's weight and driver affect the spring constant and resulting frequency. Grasp the interplay of forces and how they dictate harmonic motion.

Dive into the thrilling world of physics and surfing as we explore the angle of inclination of a wave's face. Discover how a surfer accelerates down a wave with an acceleration of 3.25 m/s² while ignoring friction. Join us for an engaging and educational explanation of this exciting phenomenon.

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.

Explore how a mass spectrometer works by analyzing an ion's path through the device. Understand the relationship between electric and magnetic fields in determining the ion's trajectory. Learn to compute the radius of an ion's path within the mass spectrometer.

Discover the magic of total internal reflection in this video! We explore how a ray of light refracts when traveling from glass into water. Find out the critical angle needed for total reflection, preventing any light from entering the water. Dive into the world of optics and refraction.

Discover the gravitational forces at play in a triangle of masses in this video. We calculate the net force on each mass and explore how changing the side length impacts these forces. Join us for a gravitational journey through physics.