The Physics of the Void
Understand the invisible rules that govern the cosmos, from why satellites don't fall to how gravity bends the very fabric of time.
Like Duolingo, but for The Physics of the Void. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Moving Through the Vacuum and The Rules of Reality. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in The Physics of the Void
- Space is a near-vacuum with no air resistance to create friction
- Air in space is too thin or non-existent to provide resistance for swimming motions
- Objects in motion stay in motion unless an outside force acts on them
- Newton's third law requires throwing something away to move in the opposite direction
- Stopping in space requires an active force like a reverse engine burn
- Internal movements like waving arms won't change your center of mass position
- Understanding that movement in a vacuum requires expelling mass
- Understanding the lack of friction and the permanence of momentum in space
- Gravity is still nearly as strong in low Earth orbit as it is on the ground
- Rockets move by pushing exhaust gas out of a nozzle, not by pushing against outside air
- Movement in a vacuum requires expelling mass
- Weightlessness is caused by being in a constant state of freefall
- Atmospheric pressure actually pushes back against the exhaust, slightly hindering the rocket
- Lack of friction and permanence of momentum
- The station is moving sideways fast enough to miss the Earth as it falls
- Spacecraft cannot 'turn' by friction like a car wheel on a road
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives The Physics of the Void the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
If you are floating in the middle of a space station, why can't you 'swim' through the air to reach a wall?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
How to learn The Physics of the Void, step by step
Go in order. 12 short levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Moving Through the Vacuum
- Getting Around Without Ground
- Falling Forever: The Logic of Orbits
- 2
The Rules of Reality
- Light and the Universal Speed Limit
- The Fabric of Spacetime
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about The Physics of the Void
How do I learn The Physics of the Void?
Go in order: start with Moving Through the Vacuum, then The Rules of Reality. On Tomo that's 12 short levels, about 24 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for The Physics of the Void?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. The Physics of the Void is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is The Physics of the Void free?
Yes. The Physics of the Void is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn The Physics of the Void?
12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start The Physics of the Void?
No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
The Physics of the Void is taught in the Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start The Physics of the Void today.
Download Tomo, search The Physics of the Void, and play your first lesson in under a minute.