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Physics of Media Arts: Conceptual Physics for Students of the Media Arts

Aaron Wong

Lab Activity 5.4.1 Moon Physics

Introduction.

A common conspiracy theory is that we didn’t land on the moon, and that all of the footage was done in a studio. We are going to look at one theorized aspect of the footage, which is that the moon gravity was faked by filming at a high frame rate and slowing it down to give the appearance of a low gravity environment. We are going to perform a practical test of this theory to see whether the time-slowing physics matches with the theory of low gravity physics.

Equipment List.

  • Video camera capable of slow motion video (cellphones can work)
  • Meter stick
  • Marble

Procedure.

We are going to test the conspiracy theory by directly filming with a high framerate and then adjusting the timing to try to match the altered gravity. Then we will examine the details of the behavior to see whether the underlying physics remains consistent.
  1. Film a marble being dropped from a height of one meter and landing on the floor in slow motion. Do this in front of the meter stick so that you will be able to take measurements. It may be helpful to film this a few times to ensure that you have good video to work with.
  2. Calculate the time it should take the marble to fall 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, ..., 100 cm under moon gravity. Organize this information into a chart.
  3. Using the time it should take an object to fall 100 cm (1 m), determine the appropriate framerate that the video should be running at in order to mimic moon gravity. (Note: You will need to know the total number of frames required for the object to fall.) Adjust the video framerate accordingly.
  4. Using the adjusted video, determine the amount of time it took for the marble fall 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, ..., 100 cm. Organize this information into a chart.
  5. Film 10-15 seconds of walking around and jumping in slow motion. This video will be used later.

Example 5.4.1.1. Sample Charts.

Table 5.4.1.2. Moon Fall Time
Distance (cm) Theoretical Time (s) Slow Motion Time (s)
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100

Discussion.

  1. Explain how you determined the correct framerate for the moon gravity version of the video.
  2. Watch the moon gravity version of the video. How "real" does it look to you?
  3. How well did the moon gravity video align with the theoretical values? Is this difference enough to be noticable in this situation?
  4. Adjust the framerate of the video of your movement to match moon gravity. Does this look like you’re on the moon? What do you notice about the video that leads you to your conclusion? What changes would you have to make in order to make it more convincing (aside from costumes and props).

Conclusion.

There are lots of technical reasons that the moon landing could not have been faked using the available technology of the time. But setting those aside and just thinking about trying to make the videos, you can see from this lab that the challenges are not all solved by simply adjusting the frame rate.

Lab Write-Up Guidance.

Use the following outline to help you write up your lab report completely and correctly.
  • Title and Header.
    What is the title of the lab and who was in the lab group?
  • Introduction.
    In your own words, what was the purpose of the lab activity?
  • Procedure.
    Describe the process of making the videos that you used in your analysis.
  • Results and Data.
    Present your moon fall chart.
  • Discussion.
    Answer the discussion questions. Be sure that you state the original question and organize it in a way that is easy to follow.
  • Conclusion.
    Write a couple paragraphs about the lab. Did you find anything interesting or surprising?
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