PHYS 450: Optics Lab

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.

Journey to the outer reaches of our solar system with a captivating exploration of Sedna, the most distant-known object discovered in 2003. This enigmatic celestial body boasts a 1700 km diameter, a 10,500-year orbit around the sun, and a maximum speed of 4.64 km/s. Join us as we delve into the calculations of its elliptical orbit, its minimum speed, and the intriguing variations in its kinetic energy. Uncover the mysteries of Sedna's motion in this educational video.

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.