B What are your favourite classical physics puzzles?

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Participants in the discussion share their favorite classical physics puzzles suitable for winter evenings, emphasizing the enjoyment of elegant and creative solutions. Examples include problems involving gravitational interactions between point masses and the shape of an asteroid maximizing surface gravity. The conversation also touches on the increase of entropy and the assumptions behind classical statistical mechanics, particularly the molecular chaos assumption. Additionally, there are discussions about the nature of time in physics, specifically the causal and thermodynamic arrows of time. Overall, the thread highlights a blend of problem-solving and theoretical exploration in classical physics.
  • #31
@wrobel I missed the part ##\omega## is parallel to the plane.
 
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  • #32
etotheipi said:
wondered if people would like to share some fun problems that you can snuggle up to on a cold Winter's evening?

There is a sailing race down a river which flows at 10 km/h.

- On the first day the wind relative to the ground blows at 10 km/h parallel to the river in the downstream direction.

- On the second day there is no wind relative to the ground.

During which day can the sailboats make faster progress down the river?
 
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  • #33
I believe the correct answer for @A.T. 's sailing puzzle is the second day.
(I've done a little sailing, and to head into the direction the wind is coming from, you zigzag toward the destination).
 
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