Remove this ad

Common Misconceptions in Physics

by Nancy Atkinson on December 7, 2012

Want to stay on top of all the space news? Follow @universetoday on Twitter

The folks at Minute Physics keep coming up with videos too great not to share. This one deals with gravity, distances and speeds, I’m guessing this might have a part 2!

Remove this ad

About

Nancy Atkinson is Universe Today's Senior Editor. She also is the host of the NASA Lunar Science Institute podcast and works with the Astronomy Cast and 365 Days of Astronomy podcasts. Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador.

  • http://www.facebook.com/michael.cox.3705 Michael Cox

    if you’re going to be that technical then why use the speed of light, c = 300, 000 km/s?

    • Torbjörn Larsson

      I think the point of the video was precisely that the difference was not “technical”. But it works to make that approximation quite often.

      My own pet peeve is the everyday relativity effect of magnetism, showing that we can’t just add velocities willy-nilly. Analogously roundness of the Earth shows up locally in the Coriolis effect, that affects weather patterns.

  • Gozlemci

    Very nice video…

  • Rodford Smith

    One of the things I learned getting my BSCE is the difference between precision and accuracy, and how to judge how much of each you need. You can actually loose your job if you spend too much time and effort adding decimal points.

    Yes, there are situations where you *need* those decimal points. Recognizing them is part of the job.

    So, I don’t see the simplification as lying. I see it as teaching to the ability and expectations of the grade. Laying a foundation which can be built on later. Of course, that should include pointing out to grade schoolers and high schoolers that there’s more to come at higher grades.

Previous post:

Next post: