Sometimes you think you have a complete understanding of something and then BOOM—a simple problem throws everything out the window. Let's consider a very basic physics problem involving pushing a ...

I learned to respect friction, as a phenomenon with many nuances, when I was a graduate student. One day, while teaching a problem session in elementary mechanics, I unwisely invented a new problem to ...

The local fair just ended. Of course there is a bunch of physics at these things. Let me share just one for now. More will likely come later. Here is the big potato sack slide. Here is a quick video ...

Physics and Python stuff. Most of the videos here are either adapted from class lectures or solving physics problems. I really like to use numerical calculations without all the fancy programming ...

Chemists and physicists shed light on a crucial aspect of friction: how things begin to slide. Using fluorescence microscopy and dedicated fluorescent molecules, they are able to pinpoint how and when ...

Friction is an intrinsic physical phenomenon to curling. Without it, objects in motion would move endlessly, without slowing down. This would cause many safety-related problems: Cars or trains could ...