Questions from Modern Physics

Q: A horse is hitched to a wagon. Since the wagon pulls

A horse is hitched to a wagon. Since the wagon pulls back on the horse just as hard as the horse pulls on the wagon, why doesn’t the wagon remain in equilibrium, no matter how hard the horse pulls?

Q: A ball is dropped from rest and feels air resistance as it

A ball is dropped from rest and feels air resistance as it falls. Which of the graphs in Fig. Q5.26 best represents its vertical velocity component as a function of time? Fig. Q5.26:

Q: Why can it hurt your foot more to kick a big rock

Why can it hurt your foot more to kick a big rock than a small pebble? Must the big rock hurt more? Explain.

Q: When a batted baseball moves with air drag, when does the

When a batted baseball moves with air drag, when does the ball travel a greater horizontal distance? (i) While climbing to its maximum height; (ii) while descending from its maximum height back to the...

Q: When a car comes to a stop on a level highway,

When a car comes to a stop on a level highway, what force causes it to slow down? When the car increases its speed on the same highway, what force causes it to speed up? Explain.

Q: Does Newton’s second law hold true for an observer in a van

Does Newton’s second law hold true for an observer in a van as it speeds up, slows down, or rounds a corner? Explain.

Q: Some students refer to the quantity m

Some students refer to the quantity m

Q: The acceleration of a falling body is measured in an elevator that

The acceleration of a falling body is measured in an elevator that is traveling upward at a constant speed of 9.8 m/s. What value is obtained?

Q: You can play catch with a softball in a bus moving with

You can play catch with a softball in a bus moving with constant speed on a straight road, just as though the bus were at rest. Is this still possible when the bus is making a turn at constant speed o...

Q: If your hands are wet and no towel is handy, you

If your hands are wet and no towel is handy, you can remove some of the excess water by shaking them. Why does this work?