Recent content by lalota

Thanks Nate! Yep, too late for the test, but I was able to figure out what you orginally meant. I created a triangle using the forces of each mass that would illustrate how the forces cancel to create an equilibrium. We weren't required to find the angles, but tried to show that the main system...

Sorry again... this is very urgent, as I have to know this question for a test tommorow. Any further help is truly appreciated!

Sorry, there's something I don't quite grasp. Why would the 4kg mass always pull straight down? Wouldn't the 5kg mass keep it from doing so because it too would try to pull straight down? I definitely see what you mean about the angles, and I'll try working with that now. Since it wants to...

Thank you for the hint! I have a feeling that since the tension is greater in the shorter line supporting the 4kg mass, it might affect the final outcome. Am I on the right path?

Please help, I cannot figure this problem out and I would appreciate any assistance. Sorry if this seems ridiculously easy to some of you. I have an idea of what might happen, but I'm really not sure at all. The problem is in the following image: http://img15.exs.cx/img15/9651/mathhelp.jpg...

Thank you all for your replies! I particularly like the paper plane idea, so I will be using that. Now I need a little more help (sorry!) but I'm almost finished. I need to think of another very simple demo to illustrate lift (aside from the actual toy, of course). There was classic one using a...

Hi everyone... I need help finding a common household toy to use for a physics presentation. Unfortunately, I'm the last person so everyone else has used up a lot of the ideas! I can't use the following: -Yoyo -Top -Frisbee -Bubbles -Bouncy ball -skateboard -helium baloons -motor car...

Thank you so much, Paul! I completely didn't think of using critical angles to explain it! Here's the answer I came up with, I would like to know if it makes sense: "Once the light entered the glass, it was in the denser medium. In order for refraction to occur, the incidence rays must be...

please! -any- help would be appreciated. if I'm still not understood, i can clarify what I'm asking!

Well, we were conducting an investigation where we would shine a ray of light through a thick, half-circle shaped glass lying flat on a paper, and we measured the angles at which the ray refracted or reflected. When we shone the light at the straight edge of the glass, the rays refracted fine...

Light is being a sticky unit for me, can anyone help with the following question: "Why is there no refraction at the curved surfaces?" I've tried reseraching it, but instead I find equations of how it IS possible. Erm.. not quite answering the question. Any help appreciated, thanks!