Lesson plan

Falling cat problem

The falling cat problem is a problem that consists of explaining the underlying physics behind the observation of the cat righting reflex. Although amusing and trivial to pose, the solution of the problem is not as straightforward as its statement would suggest. The apparent contradiction with the law of conservation of angular momentum is resolved because the cat is not a rigid body, but instead is permitted to change its shape during the fall owing to the cat's flexible backbone and non-functional collar-bone. The behavior of the cat is thus typical of the mechanics of deformable bodies. Several explanations have been proposed for this phenomenon since the late 19th century: * Cats rely on conservation of angular momentum. * The rotation angle of the front body is larger than that of the rear body. * The dynamics of the falling cat have been explained using the Udwadia–Kalaba equation.

Back to article

Article summary

The falling cat problem is a problem that consists of explaining the underlying physics behind the observation of the cat righting reflex. Although amusing and trivial to pose, the solution of the problem is not as straightforward as its statement would suggest. The apparent contradiction with the law of conservation of angular momentum is resolved because the cat is not a rigid body, but instead is permitted to change its shape during the fall owing to the cat's flexible backbone and non-functional collar-bone. The behavior of the cat is thus typical of the mechanics of deformable bodies. Several explanations have been proposed for this phenomenon since the late 19th century: * Cats rely on conservation of angular momentum. * The rotation angle of the front body is larger than that of the rear body. * The dynamics of the falling cat have been explained using the Udwadia–Kalaba equation.

Key claims

No claims recorded.

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  3. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

No sources recorded.

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.