The intuition tag has no wiki summary.
6
votes
3answers
160 views
Intuitive meaning of factor 2 in formula of vertical throw max height $h=v^2/2g$
This is a question about a simple thing. The simplified expression for maximum height in vertical throw is $h=\frac{v^2}{2g}$ , could anyone explain intuitively (analogies are welcome) why there is a ...
-2
votes
2answers
56 views
Mental and mathematical representation of the space-time concept [closed]
How can I imagine the space-time in my mind? And also is there a mathematical representation of it, and of its modifications? Can the Einstein tensor be the answer under this aspect?
$$
G_{\mu \nu} = ...
3
votes
1answer
107 views
Intuition behind Work
I have a doubt in understanding the intuition behind the concept of work. First of all, I think this isn't duplicate, I've searched on the site, and the closest thing I've found was this post which is ...
10
votes
2answers
356 views
Using photons to explain electrostatic force
I am trying to understand the idea of a force carrier with the following example.
Let's say there are two charges $A$ and $B$ that are a fixed distance from each other. What is causing the force on ...
0
votes
2answers
99 views
Internal/Rotational angular momentum
I have some difficulties to understand the relation between the internal and the rotational angular momentum of a rigid body which is also known as König's theorem, so what physical intuition lies ...
7
votes
3answers
176 views
How do I intuit viscosity in a rotating fluid?
Suppose I have two plates with a viscous fluid in between. I slide them in the same direction (a direction in their own plane), one at $5 \,\text{m/s}$ and the other at $6 \,\text{m/s}$. Due to the ...
3
votes
1answer
118 views
What is the physical meaning of a flux of gravitational field in classics?
I've stumbled upon an answer to a question about square power in Newton's law of gravity. After reading it I got a question whether the flux of gravitational field has actually any physical meaning.
...
2
votes
1answer
65 views
Where does the energy flow differ between a forward and reverse process?
Mathematically ($W=\int PdV$) and by the First Law, I understand that $1 \rightarrow 4 \rightarrow 3 \rightarrow 2 \rightarrow 1$ and $1 \rightarrow 2 \rightarrow 3 \rightarrow 4 \rightarrow 1$ are ...
6
votes
5answers
294 views
Intuitive explanation of the inverse square power $\frac{1}{r^2}$ in Newton's law of gravity
Is there an intuitive explanation why it is plausible that the gravitational force which acts between two point masses is proportional to the inverse square of the distance $r$ between the masses (and ...
5
votes
1answer
339 views
Intuition for multiple temporal dimensions
It’s easy, relatively speaking, to develop an intuition for higher spatial dimensions, usually by induction on familiar lower-dimensional spaces. But I’m having difficulty envisioning a universe with ...
5
votes
0answers
187 views
Intuition for when the replica trick should work and why it works
I am a graduate student in mathematics working in probability (without a very good background in physics honestly) and I've started to see arguments based on computations derived from the replica ...
4
votes
4answers
355 views
Is it intuitive that the conserved quantity from time symmetry is what we know as energy?
Is there an easy (aka intuitive) way to understand that the conserved quantity from time translation symmetry is just what we call energy?
In other words, we use two definitions of energy. One is ...
5
votes
4answers
200 views
Intuitive explanation to why superconductivity breaks at high temperatures
I was recently caught up in a situation where I tried to explain to someone with only vary basic knowledge of physics (notion of atoms and electrons, etc.) what causes superconductivity. One thing I ...
5
votes
3answers
294 views
What is a completely positive map *physically*?
I am sure this question is really stupid, but I could not refrain from asking it in this forum. This can be considered as a continuation of this question.
...
2
votes
1answer
135 views
Euclidean Geometry in Classical Thought - Realization or Representation?
First post! :]
This has been bothering me for a while now:
[Taken from John J. Roche's "The Mathematics of Measurement: A Critical History"]
When physico-mathematicians in the seventeenth ...
5
votes
1answer
110 views
Apparent contradiction between calculations and intuition?
I am rather confused because it would seem that mathematical conclusions I have drawn here goes against my physical intuition, though both aren't too reliable to begin with.
We have a potential step ...
14
votes
5answers
944 views
Is there an intuitive explanation for why Lorentz force is perpendicular to a particle's velocity and the magnetic field?
The Lorentz force on a charged particle is perpendicular to the particle's velocity and the magnetic field it's moving through. This is obvious from the equation:
$$ \mathbf{F} = q\mathbf{v} \times ...
5
votes
2answers
132 views
Superconductivity reasons (Intutitive)
Superconductivity
I read in a book "Physics - Resnik and Halliday" the explanation of Type-I Superconductors{cold ones} that:
The Electrons that make up current at super-cool temperatures move in ...
5
votes
5answers
1k views
Why does work equal force times distance?
My 'government-issued' book literally says:
Energy is the capacity to do work and work is the product of net force and the 1-dimensional distance it made a body travel while constantly affecting ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
How do kinetic energy and linear momentum relate?
It took me quite a long time to click my gears in place and even then I'm not sure it's completely correct.
The problem is that I need to understand these concepts (physics concepts; not just these ...
2
votes
2answers
308 views
Intuition behind the concept of heat
Even if elementary, I'm afraid I am still not comfortable with the concept of heat. I can picture heat as some kind of incompressible fluid that is transferred from a body to another in such a way ...
5
votes
3answers
105 views
What is the physical difference between states and unital completely positive maps?
Mathematically, completely positive maps on C*-algebras generalize positive linear functionals in that every positive linear functional on a C*-algebra $A$ is a completely positive map of $A$ into ...
-1
votes
1answer
228 views
Which areas of physics are most demanding of good intuition or physical insight? [closed]
I'm a beginning graduate student, and I have 2 years before I have to pick a specialization. I would like to know which areas of physics call for the most intuition or physical insight. If this sounds ...
0
votes
2answers
185 views
Question Concerning Position Of A Particle At Any Given Time
After years of procrastinating i've decided not to "move ahead" with physics without getting this ridiculously trivial question clear!*I know i had asked a similar question as silly and stupid as this ...
5
votes
5answers
425 views
Is time fundamentally different from space?
Note: This is a rewrite of the original question, which was titled What would time be for 2D beings?
In my current, non-physicist's understanding, every instant of our three‑dimensional world ...
8
votes
2answers
847 views
What's the interpretation of Feynman's picture proof of Noether's Theorem?
On pp 103 - 105 of The Character of Physical Law, Feynman draws this diagram to demonstrate that invariance under spatial translation leads to conservation of momentum:
To paraphrase Feynman's ...
2
votes
2answers
301 views
Question Based On Galileo's Law Of Falling Bodies
Galileo discovered that the distance fallen is proportional to the square of the time it has been falling.Why is it proportional to the square of the time and not just time?
i.e $d \propto t^2$ why ...
10
votes
0answers
154 views
Hypersingular Boundary Operator in Physics
This has been a question I've been asking myself for quite some time now. Is there a physical Interpretation of the Hypersingular Boundary Operator?
First, let me give some motivation why I think ...
6
votes
1answer
258 views
Circular motion when F=ma'
I apologize in advance if this question is deemed too general or too similar to this and this question.
How would mechanics be different if $F=mx'''$ instead of $F=ma$? I feel like I have ...
1
vote
0answers
90 views
Knowledge needed to study and understand general and special relativity theory [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What are the prerequisites to studying general relativity?
I'am 27 now and i have a burning desire to study math and physics from the ground up and I strongly prefer ...
4
votes
3answers
408 views
“Seeing” the solution
I often hear people say that so-and-so [some famous physicist] can see the solution without calculation. What exactly does this mean? Is it an intuition? But how does one have intuition when it comes ...
13
votes
3answers
1k views
How does non-commutativity lead to uncertainty?
I read that the non-commutativity of the quantum operators leads to the uncertainty principle.
What I don't understand is how both things hang together. Is it that when you measure one thing first ...
13
votes
6answers
2k views
Can Noether's theorem be understood intuitively?
Noether's theorem is one of those surprisingly clear results of mathematical calculations, for which I am inclined to think that some kind of intuitive understanding should or must be possible. ...
5
votes
6answers
979 views
Why F=ma and not F=ma'?
What would happen if instead of $F=m*d^2x/dt^2$, we had $F=m*d^3x/dt^3$ or higher?
Intuitively, I have always seen a justification for ~1/r^2 forces as the "forces beeing divided equally over the ...
3
votes
4answers
314 views
Is a periodic force capable of transporting a particle to large distances?
I have a particle at rest. At $t = 0$ a periodic force like $F_0 \sin\omega t$ starts acting on my particle. Can such a force transport my particle to infinity when $t \to \infty$? Please answer this ...
8
votes
2answers
364 views
Shaking a jar of balls
A jar is filled with two types of balls, red and green. Red balls have radius $r_1$ and mass $m_1$, green balls have radius $r_2$ and mass $m_2$.
If initially the balls are randomly placed throughout ...
