Congratulations to our 2024 runner-up, Amelia from Adamstown Community College. Amelia authored and illustrated a murder mystery guided by trajectory truths. Take a look at her entry below:
Can physics help us solve mysteries? Definitely! One of the main jobs of a physicist is to find out why and how. The first idea that came to my mind when asked this question was a murder mystery. I enjoy reading crime novels and watching murder mystery shows, which got me thinking: Does physics help solve these complex cases? Through research, I found that it does, and it plays a crucial role in many investigations.
In my comic, “The Force of Evidence,” I explore this idea. The examples I used include ballistics, which is the study of guns and firearms. By analyzing trajectory and the physics behind a bullet’s flight, we can uncover significant clues. Physics also helps in unexpected ways. Got a footprint? Mass distribution calculations can reveal potential weight, height, and even the gender of suspects.
“The Force of Evidence” follows two detectives as they attempt to solve the seemingly random case of a man being shot. The comic highlights how real investigations might use these techniques. Ultimately, physics is not just theoretical but a powerful tool in the practical world full of mysteries!
