Physics and Earth Science Myths

 Physics and Earth Science Myths

Myth: Lightning never strikes the same place twice.

Fact: Lightning frequently strikes the same place twice—

especially tall, conductive objects. For example, the Empire State Building is struck an average of 25 times per year.

Lightning seeks the path of least resistance to the ground.

Myth: A penny dropped from the Empire State Building could kill someone.

Fact: A penny is small, lightweight, and aerodynamically "flat." Due to air resistance, it quickly reaches its terminal velocity as it falls—

at a speed of approximately 30–50 miles per hour. While being struck by one would certainly sting, it would not possess enough force to be lethal.

Myth: There is no gravity in space.

Fact: There is plenty of gravity in space. The Moon's orbit is governed by Earth's gravitational pull,

just as Earth's orbit is governed by the Sun's gravity. The reason astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) appear "weightless" is not due to an absence of gravity, but rather because they are in a constant state of free fall.

They are continuously falling around the Earth at the same speed as their spacecraft, creating the sensation of floating.