The applied-physics tag has no wiki summary.
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Containement system of a nuclear reactor: role of the water moderator
In a modern nuclear reactor for example a PWR there are multiple containment systems which prevent the release of radioactive material into the environment and shield the environment from the ...
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2answers
50 views
How does a force on electrons produce a force on a metal plate
In a paper from Cadwell Magnetic damping: Analysis of an eddy current brake using an airtrack about eddy current brakes the author explains the effect qualitatively as follows:
When a ...
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1answer
31 views
Electric current streamlines in induction cooking vessel
I am looking for a plot of the typical streamlines of the electric induced currents ("eddy currents") in a induction cooking vessel.
How can one theoretically predict the streamlines? How is it ...
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1answer
83 views
Force of electromagnet on piece of iron
I can find equations to give the force of an electromagnet on a piece of iron when the iron touches the electromagnet.
But what about when the iron is some distance from the electromagnet? ...
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1answer
138 views
Can an induction coil heat two layers of metal?
Imagine we have an induction coil which is strong enough to heat a sheet of metal. We can put a sheet of ferromagnetic metal close to the coil at distance $h_1$, and it gets heated to temperature ...
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1answer
114 views
If layers of insulation are continuously added to a heated object, will it continue to be better insulated?
If you were to keep adding layers of insulation to something, like blankets to a person, would each blanket continue to improve the insulation? Or do you reach some point at which the next blanket ...
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131 views
Wavelength comparison of two waves
Is there any non-digital (naturally existing) mechanism to compare two or more waves in such a way:
...
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3answers
884 views
What are the applications of Gauss's law in technology? [closed]
Freshmen physics textbooks use Gauss's law plus symmetry to calculate the electric field.
I was wondering if this method of finding the electric field using a symmetry is used in real applications in ...
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0answers
104 views
How do I solve this Kinematics question? [closed]
In 1987, Art Boileau won the Los Angeles Marathon, 26 miles and 285 yards, in 2h, 13 minutes and 9 seconds. At the 21-mile mark, Boileau had a 2.50 min lead on the second place winner, who later ...
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1answer
5k views
Formula for a ball rolling down an Inclined Plane
Suppose we set up an experiment where we have an inclined ramp, and a spherical basketball. If we were to assume the ball to be perfectly round, and rolls down in a vertical manner and the situation ...
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2answers
80 views
What could be some applications for a highly compressed magnetic field?
If you had a powerful electromagnet in the shape of a hollow sphere in which the top and bottom halves are the opposing poles, what can the magnetic filed at the center of the sphere be used for?
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231 views
What are the applications of delta function potentials?
Are there real applications for using delta function potentials in quantum mechanics (other than using it as an exactly solvable toy model in introductory undergraduate quantum mechanics textbooks) ?
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481 views
Conservation of angular momentum in helicopter
I have a small RC-controlled toy helicopter with removable tail rotor.
Suppose I remove the tail rotor, hold the tail with my hand, start the rotor until it moves with constant angular velocity and ...
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1answer
531 views
What is the difference between an accelerometer and an inclinometer?
When looking through papers for a controls project I found one that seemed to be referencing the fusing of sensor data from an inclinometer and an accelerometer.
I always had thought that it was ...
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3answers
860 views
Magnetic flying engine
I invented a flying engine moving entirely by magnetic forces (such as the force related with magnetic field of the Earth).
See http://porton.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/magnetic-vehicle/
The question ...
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1answer
432 views
Is chaos theory essential in practical applications yet?
Do you know cases where chaos theory is actually applied to successfully predict essential results? Maybe some live identification of chaotic regimes, which causes new treatment of situations.
I'd ...
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4answers
750 views
Are quantum mechanics calculations useful for engineering?
I heard it's is pretty tough to get results for more than a few quantum particles. Are quantum mechanical calculations useful at all for any technology that is being sold?
Or do they use ...
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2answers
339 views
Eliminating IR light reflection perceived by a steep viewing angle
I am having a problem with reflection on an acrylic surface, in the IR part of the spectrum. This reflection is interfering with an algorithm that looks at objects, as it makes two show up when only ...
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2answers
415 views
Do multiple permanent magnets aggregated together approach the same strength as a single magnet of the same size?
Here's an applied physics question. ;) If I buy some cube or sphere magnets like these, can I aggregate them together to create a stronger magnet (almost as strong as a single magnet)?
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Real world examples for projectile thrown upwards or downwards
I am preparing a physics course for high school about projectile motions. If a projectile moves with initial velocity $v_0$ in the gravitational field of the earth, the equation
$$
s(t) = 1/2 g t^2 ...
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2answers
160 views
Radar Frequency Bandwidth
I've come across an interesting question in the course of doing some exam review in a quantum mechanics book and thought I'd share it here.
"What must be the frequency bandwidth of the detecting and ...
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1answer
161 views
Additional accelerating force during take off of a rocket?
During the take off of a rocket, the exhaust produces some pressure below the rocket, which gives an additional force. How large is this force in comparison to the force produced directly by the ...
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4answers
225 views
Applications of recoil principle in classical physics
Are there any interesting, important or (for the non physicist) astonishing examples where the recoil principle (as special case of conservation of linear momentum) is applied beside rockets and guns?
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0answers
608 views
What are typical values of the critical thickness of insulation?
As most people who've had any elementary heat transfer course are aware, when insulating a pipe, wire, etc, there is a critical thickness for the insulation below which it causes greater heat transfer ...
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1answer
384 views
Phenomena which are incorrectly declared as resonance phenomena?
In standard college physics text books, high-school books and popular level physics books, the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is often taken as an example of resonance. However a more detailed ...
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3answers
299 views
How can I measure the physical properties of a metallic string?
Metallic strings exist in different kinds but I would like to measure for a metallic string:
the section/geometry along its length, to a precision of 1/100 mm
its elongation when a tension is ...
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3answers
827 views
Why should optical fibers be thin?
What are the reasons that optical fibers have to be thin (small radius of the fiber)? Is there a good picture which explains this in detail?
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3answers
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Cladding of optical fibers
Why do optical fibers usually have a cladding? Ok, if you put make a bundle of optical fibers this prevents that light leaks from one fiber to another fiber in contact. However, are there other ...
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210 views
Did Rutherford invent the smoke detector? [closed]
On the web I have found several pages crediting Ernest Rutherford with the invention or at least with discovering the foundation of efficient smoke detectors. The story often goes like this:
The ...
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2answers
175 views
“How can you map or define the space of solutions?” [closed]
Particular solutions, or solutions in general, can be thought of as a combination of waves within a finite period of time. The creation of the waves are generally constrained by limits of physics of ...
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2answers
3k views
How does the Kinect device work?
Some explanations of the device base it on a simple echo of light: "The camera transmits invisible near-infrared light and measures its “time of flight” after it reflects off the objects. ...
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4answers
5k views
Practical applications for a Bose-Einstein condensate
What are the main practical applications that a Bose-Einstein condensate can have?
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2answers
331 views
Practical uses of antimatter in the present
I recently found out that a PET scan stands for a positron emission tomography. Are there any other practical uses of antimatter in the present?
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3answers
1k views
If a vehicle is rolling down a hill, will its speed depend on the size of the wheel?
If I am sitting on a skateboard and travel downhill, will the velocity depend at all on the size of the wheel?
The skateboard is only powered by gravity. There are a lot of variables to consider. ...
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6answers
567 views
How do I figure out the effects of wind on flight?
For a school project, I'm trying to make an automated flight planner, considering mainly the differences in flight paths according to wind.
Now I've heard that flying with/against the wind affects ...
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3answers
434 views
Tire speed dependent friction
I have an old, non power steered car.
When the car is stationary, the steering wheel is really tough to move, but as soon as I gain very little (0.5 kph or so) speed, the resistance is dramaticly ...
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413 views
Law for tap water temperature
I was wondering if anyone put together a law to describe the rising temperature of the water coming out of a tap.
The setup is fairly simple: there's a water tank at temperature T, a metal tube of ...
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4answers
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Boiling water and salt
I would like to have a good understanding of what is happening when you add salt to boiling water.
My understanding is that the boiling point will be higher, thus lengthening the process (obtaining ...
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2answers
236 views
What is a capacitive screen sensing?
What should be a properties of a body so a contact with it can be detected by a capacitive touchscreen or a touchpad?
