How to Get Better at ‘Back of the Envelope’ Calculations
Estimating answers to everyday physics problems is an art form. Here's one tip: learn to ignore what you don't know.
Spider-Man Defies Physics When He Falls Backward Off a Plane
If you care about the momentum principle, this should bother you.
The Insane Physics of Airbags
In a collision, a car's airbag has a tiny fraction of a second in which to inflate—which is why airbags use explosives.
There’s Some Dodgy Physics in Solo: A Star Wars Story
Chewbacca is falling out of a moving train! Han rushes to save him! Turns out, ordinary physics would have saved him, too.
The Physics of Launching a Lunar Lander From the Moon’s Surface
How fast was the acceleration of NASA's lunar lander when it took off from the Moon in the Apollo 17 mission? Using video analysis, we can figure that out.
Why a Tennis Ball Goes Flying When Bounced on a Basketball
When you bounce a tennis ball off a moving basketball, the tennis ball goes careening off at high speed. Here's why that happens.
Flummoxed by Force and Motion? Try This Physics Experiment
Physics class can get painfully abstract. But you can collect your own data to see Newton's second law in action.
How to Measure Things That Are Astronomically Far Away
Light-years, parsecs and more: these are the units for describing distances between planets and other astronomical objects.
The Physics of a Star Wars Bomber Dropping Bombs in Space
The Empire Strikes Back brought us the TIE bomber—and new physics questions to try to solve.
How to Easily Locate the Accelerometer in an iPhone
Don't take apart your phone! Circular motion, an app to record sensor data, and some physics is all you need.