Related papers: Sliding rope paradox
We present a novel paradox in special relativity together with its solution. We call it the four particles paradox. The purpose of this paradox is pedagogical and therefore directed towards students and lecturers of physics. Even if most…
This paper discusses an instructional strategy which explores eventual similarities and/or analogies between familiar problems and more sophisticated systems. In this context, the Atwood's machine problem is used to introduce students to…
The paradoxes of thermodynamics and statistical physics are unavoidable in the study of physical paradoxes because of their importance at the time they came to be as well as the frequency of their appearance in historical studies of…
A new apparent relativistic paradox is presented involving only one space-time event. This is different from earlier relativistic paradoxes involving extended bodies or events at different positions. A collision between a rod and a ring…
The problem of a suspended rope wrapped around a fixed cylinder is studied. If the suspension force is larger than a certain threshold (which is larger than the weight of the rope), the rope would remain tightly wrapped around the cylinder.…
Learning physics requires understanding the applicability of fundamental principles in a variety of contexts that share deep features. One way to help students learn physics is via analogical reasoning. Students can be taught to make an…
The Painlev\'e paradox is a phenomenon that causes instability in mechanical systems subjects to unilateral constraints. While earlier studies were mostly focused on abstract theoretical settings, recent work confirmed the occurrence of the…
We analyse a mechanical system in two-dimensional relative motion with friction. Although the system is simple, the peculiar interplay between two kinetic friction forces and gravity leads to the wide range of admissible solutions exceeding…
The apparently trifling unexpected hanging paradox has generated an enormous philosophical literature. We introduce the mathematician to this literature, paying special attention to aspects that involve nontrivial mathematics. This xxx…
The looping pendulum is a simple physical system consisting of two masses connected by a string that passes over a rod. We derive equations of motion for the looping pendulum using Newtonian mechanics, and show that these equations can be…
This paper outlines a deceptively complex problem in classical mechanics which the paper names the "Falling Astronaut Problem," and it explores a method for teachers to implement this problem in an undergraduate classroom. The paper…
We resolve a paradox in special relativity proposed by F. W. Sears for the action of forces on a rigid body. In the paradox, a moving rigid rod is struck at different times by impulsive forces, but continues to move with unchanged velocity,…
Paradoxes are a very frequent phenomenon in processes of thought which strive towards the intelectual and cognitive shifts. They occur in all areas of human spiritual activites. What we are interested here in, are the paradoxes in physics.…
Statistical classical mechanics and quantum mechanics are developed and well-known theories that represent a basis for modern physics. The two described theories are well known and have been well studied. As these theories contain numerous…
Consider the following story: A teacher announces to her students a test for the following week, such that the test will be ``surprising''. The students use this as the basis for a ``logical derivation'' and reach a contradiction, which…
The motion of a bead on a rotating circular hoop is investigated using elementary calculus and simple symmetry arguments. The peculiar trajectories of the bead at different speeds of rotation of the hoop are presented. Phase portraits and…
We present a new model, and the validating experiments, that unveil the rich physics behind the flight of a conductive ring in the Thomson experiment, a physics veiled by the fast thrust that impels the ring. We uncover interesting features…
We clarify and generalize the ant on a rubber rope paradox, which is a mathematical puzzle with a solution that appears counterintuitive. In this paper, we show that the ant can still reach the end of the rope even if we consider the step…
We discuss how a class of difficult kinematic problems can play an important role in an introductory course in stimulating students' reasoning on more complex physical situations. The problems presented here have an elementary analysis once…
An account of the transversality conditions of variational problems gives rise to essential results in the analysis of different physical phenomena. This powerful and elegant approach has proven to be fruitful in a diversity of variational…