The Ultimate Physics Movie

Rating: 8/10 (1 October 2003)

This is the movie that is basically the quintessential physics movie. From when the tanks explode to when it splashes down, the whole film is based upon fundamental physics and Newton's laws. The astronauts keep from firing the rockets in fear of igniting the fuel and blowing themselves up, so they let the module coast towards the moon to 1) let the force of gravity swing them back. The second physics point is that by letting the module coast, they know it will get to the moon as an object in motion stays in motion until acted upon by a force, in which case the settings of space don't allow there to be any. They then fear about burning up upon re-entry, which brings up the force of friction and air resistance that cause the heat to take place. If you are struggling in physics, specifically with Newton's laws, just watch Apollo 13 and all your problems will fade away.