PHYS 115: Descriptive Physics

Join us for a dramatic river rescue mission! In this video, we solve the problem of how a rescue team can reach a child in danger of drowning in a fast-flowing river. We calculate the angle from the shore for their pilot to approach the child directly, considering the river's current and the boat's speed. Explore the principles of vector addition and save lives!

Explore the nuances of Newton's third law and learn how the choice of the 'system of interest' influences force pair cancellation.

Understand how to determine the coefficient of kinetic friction using a wooden block and a spring. Employing the law of conservation of energy, we use the spring's compression and stretch measurements. Through energy equations and Newton's second law, we deduce that ? equals 0.4.

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.

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

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.