Limericks about Physics and Physical Scientists

For the sake of elegance, physicists and mathematicians have composed a panoply of exquisite equations to explain the motions of physical bodies, from the astronomically large to the infinitesimally small. For an even greater and more poetic sense of elegance, it is my genuine pleasure to provide this punctilious series of limericks about physics and physical scientists.

NOTE: For an even better appreciation of these verses, you might benefit from a refresher course on Newton’s Laws of Motion, Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion, and the black hole event horizon.

     Planetary Motion
     Three laws of Kepler’s they shifted the focus
     From out of the medieval slumber they woke us
               But first came Copernicus
               Turning the earth for us
     Proving Ptolemy blatantly bogus

     Inertia
     Newton’s first law is important for knowing
     It tells us that objects in motion keep going
               While some keep their places
               Not joining the races
     But what makes those fast-moving objects start slowing?

     Newton’s Second Law
     As you closely examine the acceleration
     Observe how the body sustains alteration
               The force when applied
               Can be measured in stride
     And it’s F to M A for the standard notation

     Importance of Impact
     Newton’s third law has a mighty attraction
     Pertaining to forces and bodies in action
               So let us inspect
               How these deeds intersect
     To produce an opposing and equal reaction

     Marie Sklodowska Curie
     There’s a quizzical couple called Curie
     Who were curious and worked in a hurry
               In finding the answer
               They came down with cancer
     Not knowing they needed to worry

     Thomas Alva Edison 
     There’s a wizard around Menlo Park
     With a mind that could flicker and spark
               The work of T.A.
               Turned night into day
     When his light bulb extinguished the dark

     E=mc squared
     Relativity renders me slightly deflated
     ‘Specially when speeds become sharply inflated
               As fast as light travels
               The physics unravels
   And time as we know it gets grossly dilated

     Professor Schroedinger
     Quantum mechanics may cause you to groan
     The state of the kitten can’t surely be known
               The odds have increased
               But alive or deceased
     Reality hangs on observance alone 

     The Schwarzschild Radius
     There are places in space where the laws are suspended
     Where light disappears and the time is upended
               So best keep your eyes on 
               The event horizon
     ‘Cause falling below it is not recommended

     Stephen Hawking 
     There’s a handicapped crackerjack Hawking
     Black holes he is known for unlocking
               New worlds he has found
               But here on the ground
     He had terrible trouble just walking

Further Reading

If you liked these limericks about physics, you’ll be sure to enjoy :

• Limericks about Life Sciences
• Poetry about Anatomy
• Limericks about Mathematics