Category Archives: Physics

Blog Post 2 Bending of Light

Posted on February 20, 2022 by isaachuggins

Light is a weird thing. It is both a particle and a wave, yet it has no mass to it. This means it should be immune to certain laws of physics, such as gravity, since gravity requires two masses to generate a force. However, light does bend due to gravity. This is not the normal […] Continue reading →

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Discovering the Photoelectric Effect

Posted on February 20, 2022 by alexbawa

I’ve always been taught that light is both a wave and a particle, and I’ve never faltered in believing it. However, I chose to challenge myself and question what I’ve always known to be true. Accordingly, I explored the origins of the photoelectric effect to understand how physicists arrived at their conclusions. In my research, […] Continue reading →

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Gravity in Solar System

Posted on February 17, 2022 by sissichen17

Acceleration due to gravity (g) is different for different planets due to their diverse masses and radii. Physicists usually figure out the by the formula g = GM/r**2, where G is the Universal Constant of Gravitation (6.67 * 10**(-11)), M is the mass of the planet, and r is the radius of the planet. By […] Continue reading →

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Tides on Titan

Posted on February 17, 2022 by isaiandrade01

As we learned in class, different celestial bodies can have varying tidal forces depending on their masses in relation to the object of interest. This phenomenon was mainly explored by the tidal forces on the Earth by the Moon and the Sun. In order to calculate the gravitational forces between two objects, we utilized the […] Continue reading →

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“Powers of Ten” and the Scale of the Universe

Posted on January 30, 2022 by Brian

I didn’t remember until I started the video, but I had seen “Powers of Ten” before in some science class many years ago. This staying power, evidenced by my recollection and the countless Youtube comments saying similar things, is proof of how mind-blowing the concept of scale is. Scale determines what we can comprehend andContinue reading ““Powers of Ten” and the Scale of the Universe” Continue reading →

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Blog #1: Why is our neighborhood special?

Posted on January 30, 2022 by nadiamcglynn

But what about our place in the solar system makes life so conducive to earth? Why don’t we have cousins on Mars that we spend Thanksgiving with? Why doesn’t my uncle live on Venus? Continue reading →

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Precession Visualized

Posted on January 30, 2022 by alexbawa

After reading the initial chapters of our textbook, I was captivated by the fact that the way Earth’s tilt changes can be dumbed down to the movement of a spinning top. It’s always fascinating seeing physics work on any scale, so I was eager to look into the subject. After a bit of searching, I […] Continue reading →

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solar system superlatives: Planet 9

Posted on April 17, 2021 by Peter Taylor

Welcome back! Today, we are going to learn about the current leader in our Solar System’s ongoing game of hide-and-seek: Planet Nine. First, a disclaimer. No one actually knows if Planet Nine is real or not. It’s existence is only hypothesized, and we have literally never seen it. But, for now, let’s assume its realContinue reading “solar system superlatives: Planet 9” Continue reading →

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Black Holes and White Holes and Wormholes, Oh My!

Posted on April 12, 2021 by rightascensionanddeclinolan

They’re some of the most formidable entities in the universe: their strength is unmatched, they make their own rules, and if you get into a serious tussle with one, you’re almost guaranteed to lose.  No, I’m not talking about moms.  I’m talking about black holes, of course!  Duh… If you’ve ever learned about astronomy, chancesContinue reading “Black Holes and White Holes and Wormholes, Oh My!” Continue reading →

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Pivoting from Principle

Posted on March 22, 2021 by rightascensionanddeclinolan

Astronomy is awesome.  It lets us make cool observations (e.g., things that inform our understanding of the foundations of the universe, like the Cosmic Microwave Background), helps us ask big questions (e.g., why does the universe exist?), and reminds us that not all questions have answers (e.g., we can’t really expect an answer to theContinue reading “Pivoting from Principle” Continue reading →

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