Rhett Allain

The Physics of Solar and Wind Power. So Simple Even a Very Stable Genius Can Understand It I love energy, you love energy, EVERYONE loves energy. You use it to charge your car, run your dishwasher — and don’t forget about your…

Now more than ever people need to know the basics of #solar and #wind energy, here is my #physics explanation (at a basic level).

rjallain.medium.com/the-physics-...

AC or DC: Which Is Better? Your gadgets run on direct current, but the electricity in your home is alternating current. What’s up with that?

Your gadgets run on direct current, but the electricity in your home is alternating current. What’s up with that? www.wired.com/story/ac-or-...

YouTube video by Dot Physics Mass on a Spring. What happens when the spring isn't massless? Python Included

How do you model a mass on a spring when the spring isn't massless? Here is a #physics video with all the details using #python #vpython #iteachphysics

youtu.be/AuBaQLGe8kI

Physics Lab: Assumptions Can Be Wrong. How Do You Model an Oscillating Mass on a Heavy Spring? It’s a classic introductory physics lab — in fact, it’s one of my favorites. Students can take a simple spring and stretch it by hanging…

#python #physics - how do you model the motion of a mass on a spring when the spring is not actually massless? #iteachphysics

rjallain.medium.com/physics-lab-...

I think it’s important - but for algebra based physics students, that might be too much for them in this chapter

Screenshot of the phyphox web editor in a Mac safari web browser

Create your own menu entries or customise the default experiments to suit your needs? The phyphox web editor is updated to support the app version 1.2.0.

phyphox.org/editor/

#ITeachPhysics #MINTEdu #PhysikEdu

Unlocking Work and Energy: A Physics Textbook Chapter Guide When I encounter a new physics textbook, the very first thing I do is to check out the chapter on work-energy. I mean, pretty much every…

Here are my thoughts about what should be in a #physics chapter on work and energy.

rjallain.medium.com/unlocking-wo...

Algebra-Based Physics Chapter: Work-Energy Since I wasn’t too happy with the work-energy chapter from the textbook I was using for class, I wrote my own version. Here it is. It’s my first draft, so let me know if you find any er…

Since I was complaining about the OpenStax #physics chapter on energy - I wrote my own version. Here's my first draft. #iteachphysics

rhettallain.com/2025/07/20/a...

I don't have a socket it will fit in - maybe I can just hot wire it

They are cleaning out an old lab. I found this 1000 watt lightbulb. I wish I could plug it in

YouTube video by Dot Physics Physics Lecture: The Work Energy Principle

I think the concept of #workenergy is one that many textbooks mess up. Here is my summary video #physics #iteachphysics

youtu.be/aDUnFKV3Q5A

very true. Bruce and Ruth are the best at this for sure

thanks!

7.3 Gravitational Potential Energy - College Physics 2e | OpenStax Climbing stairs and lifting objects is work in both the scientific and everyday sense—it is work done against the gravitational force. When there is wor...

I'm using @openstax.org #physics for my summer class. The work-energy chapter is just a mess. I'm going to have to write my own chapter for this.

openstax.org/books/colleg...

For these #vernier smart sensor carts - is there something that plugs into this accessory port? Or is it there from some future product? #iteachphysics

Science Fiction Physics Star Wars Could Han Solo get through the StarKiller shields? Why does the Death Star look so big in this poster? Video analysis of the Star Destroyer crashing into the Death Star Video analysis of …

I've added this to my giant list of #sciencefiction #physics posts. You can find the full list here

rhettallain.com/2017/03/19/s...

2001: A Space Odyssey: How Kubrick Mastered Weightlessness (and You Won’t Believe How) It’s not a perfect movie. I mean, it feels like you could cut an hour of material out if you just started with the apes and then skipped…

The #physics of my two favorite scenes from 2001 A Space Odyssey and how they filmed them. #gravity #astronauts #apparentweight

rjallain.medium.com/2001-a-space...

that's cool. I want to try that - maybe after summer classes are over

Physics Lab: Energy Stored in a Charged Capacitor We don’t normally use a capacitor to store energy like a battery, but it’s also sort of like a battery. So, here’s what we are going to do…

Fun #physics lab - measuring the energy in a capacitor by discharging it. #iteachphysics

rjallain.medium.com/physics-lab-...

oh, that seems like it would do the trick. In the past, I used the force sensor and screwed on a little plate - but it was just MacGyvered and not a perfect solution.

Has anyone ever used a @vernierst sensor car as a tiny little force plate? I was thinking of standing on their ends and then dropping a small ball onto the force sensor.

#iteachphysics

What Does Physics Say About this Crazy Stick Pull Up? This looks like it’s either impossible or some type of trick. I think it’s possible but very difficult. It’s a guy doing a pull up in a…

Here's a fun #physics problem from a cool pull up trick using a stick. #forces and #torque equilibrium. #iteachphysics

rjallain.medium.com/what-does-ph...

nice

YouTube video by Dot Physics Simple Harmonic Oscillator: Every Physics Student Needs to Know This

Just like @astrokatie.com said, every #physics student needs to know how to derive the simple harmonic oscillator in their sleep. With that in mind, here's a video for you to watch in bed. #iteachphysics

youtu.be/ivTDOVV2HNY

If parents don't want their kids to hear, they could just do this giphy.com/gifs/Friends...

I would like to see what the Flying Spaghetti Monster says about this.

Space Elevators Could Totally Work—If Earth Days Were Much Shorter What would it take to run a cable from the ISS to Earth? Depends how fast you want the Earth to rotate.

Space Elevators Could Totally Work—If Earth Days Were Much Shorter www.wired.com/story/space-...

Went for an early morning short kayak ride.

Seems like a good time to share this again. 😁 @pascalispunk.bsky.social