200 Puzzling Physics Problems

Abstract

This book will strengthen a student's grasp of the laws of physics by applying them to practical situations, and problems that yield more easily to intuitive insight than brute-force methods and complex mathematics. These intriguing problems, chosen almost exclusively from classical (non-quantum) physics, are posed in accessible non-technical language requiring the student to select the right framework in which to analyse the situation and decide which branches of physics are involved. The level of sophistication needed to tackle most of the two hundred problems is that of the exceptional school student, the good undergraduate, or competent graduate student. The book will be valuable to undergraduates preparing for 'general physics' papers. It is hoped that even some physics professors will find the more difficult questions challenging. By contrast, mathematical demands are minimal, and do not go beyond elementary calculus. This intriguing book of physics problems should prove instructive, challenging and fun.

Geyser model with real-time data collection

“…A similar analysis can be used to estimate the parameters for natural geysers [13]. The eruption intervals of natural geysers vary, for example, from about 10 min for Strokkur geyser in Iceland to about 12 h for Castle geyser in Yellowstone National Park (USA).…”

“…The experimental exercise with basic reflections can be upgraded with challenges to understand a more realistic situation of natural geysers. An example of such a problem can be found in [13] (see problem P137 * on p 32).…”

Counterintuitive effect of gravity on the heat capacity of a solid sphere: Re-examination of a well-known problem

“…This problem is now well known and can be found in several problem books and collections. [4][5][6][7][8][9] The main reason for its popularity is that the solution usually presented, while being tricky to find, is simple and elegant, and uses tools accessible to a high-school student. In this paper we show that this solution, which we will refer to as the conventional solution, is incorrect because it violates the second law of thermodynamics.…”

Particle sliding on a rough incline

“…In this paper, we solve the problem of a particle sliding down a rough inclined plane (cf figure 1). This problem is discussed in [9], where only the terminal speed of the particle is found. The presence of the friction force causes a coupling of the motion along the horizontal and up and downhill direction.…”