Outlets and Physics

This weekend as I was cleaning my room, I needed to unplug my lamp to plug in the vacuum cleaner. However, I forgot to turn off the light before I unplugged the wire. When I did so, a spark was formed. I realized that I failed to complete the circuit and the spark was the circuit breaking.  This could be dangerous because if my hand was near the outlet, I could've been zapped.  This surge of energy is kind of like the energy released by a capacitor when it is being discharged.  I probably would've felt the same shock that I felt as I touched the three buttons on the camera. 

Physics in a Pirouette

With this busy weekend, I had to find some time to work on my solo project for dance.  While trying to choreograph, I remembered that dance had some relevance to physics! As I prepared for a turn, the distance between my foot and my other leg became the lever arm.  The force applied as I bent my supporting legs with the length between my legs became the torque that was exerted during the turn.  This torque resulted in the rotation of my body into three turns.  When I pull my leg up near my supporting leg, this causes me to turn faster.  Here are some pictures to show the physics of a pirouette.