Teacups

This is a picture of the teacups at Disneyland. There is actually a difference in the speed between the center of the teacup and the outer edge of the teacup. Towards the center, the speed is slower because it travels less off a distance. Towards the edge, the speed is faster because the object has to travel a greater distance in the same time period. So, there are many different speeds on each individual teacup depending on the distance from the center.

Why is it night?

A photo from a hotel room in Las Vegas. Why is it night? Day and Night cycles are based on which parts of the earth the rays of light from the sun hit. At this particular time, the earth had rotated to a particular point where Las Vegas was on the side of the earth not illuminated by the Sun. There is no moon in this picture, but it was in the sky that night. The moon moves around the earth in an elliptical pattern while also revolving around it's own axis. As it moves around, only one side of the moon is visible to the earth and this determines what kind of moon there is. I think on this particular night, it was a waxing gibbous.

Windchimes

How does this wind chime stay balanced and not tip to one side or the other? The wind chime is at an equilibrium. There are equal torques pulling down on each side of the wind chime which are balancing it out and preventing the wind chime from tilting to one side over the other. If one of the support strings or bells were to be removed, there would be less of a torque in one place and no equilibrium so the wind chime would tilt.

Soda Can Physics

This is a picture of a can of coke on the edge of my dresser. How is it not falling off? The reason for this is the location of the center of gravity of the coke bottle. If we move downwards from the center of gravity, there is enough a support base to support the object and keep it from falling. If the can was moved further to the right, there would be no support under the can and it would fall off the table. Having some kind of support under the center of gravity is crucial in keeping an object balanced.

Subtle Explosion

Here's a picture I took of my brother throwing a spear, or garden stick thing. This type of action is an example of Newton's law that for every force there is an equal and opposite force. For one, he is exerting a force on the spear but the spear is also exerting a force on him as well. He is pushing the spear forward and the spear is pushing back on him. This action is almost an explosion as well. The only thing that is needed is a recoil from the spear, since he is throwing it forward but there's no significant recoil back as there would be with a gun.

Los Angeles Times Lobby Physics

This is a picture that I took in the lobby of the Los Angeles Times, where the huge centerpiece of the art deco design is the huge globe in the middle of the room. This miniature earth demonstrates several things about physics. Both objects are pulling against each other. The actual earth is pulling the globe down, and that accoutns for the gravity holding the earth down. However, the design globe is pulling the earth up as well. However, the force of the globe pulling up on the earth is so little, that we don't see anything dramatic happening. In fact almost nothing happens at all.

Bow and Arrow

This is a photo that I took a few weeks ago of my brother shooting a bow and arrow in our backyard. Mind you, he made that bow himself by taking a branch off a tree and carving it. He may not go to private school, but talented kind nonetheless. The arrow being shot off obviously has force from the bow being applied to it. We can assume that xN are pushing it towards wherever it is heading and the only resistance it is facing is from the air and wind (would this be considered friction?). The arrow being shot is also not in free fall, though if it were, it would be falling at a rate of 9.8m/s^2.

Diffuse Reflection

This is a picture of a bowl of cherries I ate today, which I know reflects light. Why does it not show a complete and clear reflection like a mirror? The answer is because the surface of the cherry skin is rough to waves of light. Rays of light that strike the cherries are reflected in an almost infinite amount of directions allowing us to fully see it. However, the cherries do have a slight reflective glaze on them which means that the surface is probably reflecting some light, and that the surface is not as smooth as a mirror. The basis of sight is the rough surfaces that reflect light off of them in many directions so that our eyes can pick them up.