Here are some interesting questions, the answers to all of which require knowledge you will gain in this course:

• Why don't we just fly straight to the moon, or to Mars?
• How fast are the ends of that vibrating rod moving?  Why does the rod give off sound with two different pitches?  Why doesn't it give any sound at all if I don't hold it in the right place?
• What effects do different types of radiation have on tissues? What about sunlight?
• What is the theoretical limit on the number of people Earth can sustain? How can increasing population pressures effect of these limits (e.g., environmental degradation)? How many square meters does it take to sustain you?
• What is resonance, how can we model it, why should we want to?
• How can I design a pond to support a reasonable number of desirable fish? How do I get water to the pond? Can I get some useful energy out of the water in the process?
• What about those solar-powered lawn mowers?  Why do they work so slowly?
• How many watts would be required for a person treading water to keep his or her head above water with a 10-pound cannonball on top of his or her head?  What if the cannonball is tied around the person's waist?  How long could the average person supply the necessary power?
• Why does a generator offer less resistance to cranking when it is attached to a circuit having a high resistance to current?
• How does a magnet affect an electrical current?  Is the magnet affected by the current?
• What are the advantages of building a tower to place satellites in orbit? Why can't we do it now? What about a tower to the moon?
• Just how fast can we drive our car around that curve?  Why can a sports car go faster than an SUV around the curve?
• At what angle should a ball be thrown to attain maximum range? What about optimizing the range of a ball from a ramp?