EVERDAY PHYSICS 1 Everyday Physics for the Curious Scientist in You Phys 181 Class of 2020 Edited by Zi Tong Wang and Michael Hilke McGill University EVERDAY PHYSICS 2 Abstract The goal of this book is to explore the physics behind everyday phenomena. It is written such that every curious and interested mind can follow, regardless of the background. Ne need of a physics degree to understand the underlying mechanism of our daily universe. The book is written by the entire class of 2020 in for the “Everyday Physics” course given at McGill University. Keywords: The Universe, Waves and Quantum, Physics of Life, Human made machines, Physics of food. Table of Contents Abstract ..................................................................................................................... 2 Everyday Physics ................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 1: The Universe ....................................................................................... 10 Important Physical Concepts ................................................................................................. 10 Facts – Theory - Model ......................................................................................................... 10 Interesting questions on the Universe ................................................................................... 13 1. Why does the sun shine? ................................................................................................... 13 2. Why are the colors of the stars different? ......................................................................... 15 3. What would the Earth be like if the Moon didn't exist? ................................................... 17 4. How do we know that the Universe is expanding? ........................................................... 19 5. What is at the very bottom of the ocean? .......................................................................... 21 EVERDAY PHYSICS 3 6. Where did earths water come from? ................................................................................. 23 7. Why do stars shine when we look at them at night? ......................................................... 25 8. Can we realistically populate another planet? .................................................................. 27 9. Where did water come from? ............................................................................................ 29 10. What would happen to Earth if the Sun suddenly exploded? ......................................... 31 11. Is it possible for humans to survive on Mars? ................................................................ 33 12. How do we know the Universe is expanding? ................................................................ 35 13. Is there life in the Andromeda Galaxy? How can we know? .......................................... 37 14. Is it realistically possible for humans to populate to another planet? ............................. 39 15. Why are the colors of stars different? ............................................................................. 41 16. Why are the colors of stars different? ............................................................................. 43 17. Why are the colors of stars different? ............................................................................. 45 18. Why does Earth rotate? ................................................................................................... 47 19. What Is At The Very Bottom Of The Ocean? ................................................................. 49 20. Why are there stars of different colors? .......................................................................... 53 21. What is gravity and where does it come from? ............................................................... 55 22. How do we know the age of the Earth? .......................................................................... 57 23. How do we know the universe is expanding? ................................................................. 59 24. Is the universe infinite? ................................................................................................... 61 25. Is there gravity in space? ................................................................................................. 63 EVERDAY PHYSICS 4 26. Why is the Earth round?.................................................................................................. 65 27. What is gravity and where does it come from? ............................................................... 67 28. Why is the Earth round?.................................................................................................. 69 29. Where do black holes come from? .................................................................................. 71 30. Does the moon cause tides? ............................................................................................ 73 31. What would the Earth be like if the Moon didn't exist? ................................................. 75 32. Can Humans survive on Mars? ....................................................................................... 77 Chapter 2: Quantum and Waves .......................................................................... 80 Important Physical Concepts of Waves ................................................................................ 80 Interesting questions about waves ......................................................................................... 81 33. How do wifi waves travel through walls when light can't? ............................................ 81 34. Why do objects look skewered or bent when it is under water and being viewed from the surface? ............................................................................................................................................. 83 35. What is the physics behind clap-activated lights? .......................................................... 85 36. How do humans perceive sounds as complex as music from the combination of simple sound waves? .................................................................................................................................... 87 37. How are we able to see images with our eyes? ............................................................... 89 38. When we use the microwave oven to heat food, how is the energy transmitted? .......... 91 39. How do eyeglasses work? ............................................................................................... 93 40. Qu’est-ce qu’un rayon X et comment cela fonctionne ?................................................. 95 EVERDAY PHYSICS 5 41. When we use a microwave oven to heat food, how is the energy being transmitted? .... 97 42. How do household microwaves use waves to heat up our food? ................................... 99 43. Why do objects look skewered or bent went its underwater, being viewed from the surface? ........................................................................................................................................... 101 44. How do Wi-Fi waves travel through walls when light can’t? ....................................... 103 45. Why is it said that light does not need a medium through which to travel? ................. 105 46. Why do objects look skewered or bent went its underwater, being viewed from the surface? ........................................................................................................................................... 107 47. Why can the wifi waves penetrate the wall but the light wave cannot? ....................... 109 48. How does a camera capture an image and turn it into picture? ..................................... 111 49. What is the difference between the way the brain sends signals and how an electronic device sends signals? .......................................................................................................................113 50. How do eyeglasses work? ..............................................................................................116 Important Physical Concepts of Quantum Physics ............................................................ 118 Interesting questions about Quantum .................................................................................. 119 51. How is light both a particle and a wave? .......................................................................119 52. How does an MRI work? What are the physics behind it? ........................................... 121 53. What are X-rays? .......................................................................................................... 123 Chapter 3: The Physics of Life ........................................................................... 125 Important Physical Concepts of the Physics of Life and Biophysics................................ 125 EVERDAY PHYSICS 6 Interesting questions about the physics of life .................................................................... 127 54. How much force does it require to knock out an average human? ............................... 127 55. What happens to the human body when it's exposed in outer space? How long can you survive? ........................................................................................................................................... 129 56. How does the electrical conduction of the nerve