Tagged Questions
2
votes
1answer
84 views
Why do some liquid metals have anomalously-high surface tension/heat of vaporization ratios?
In a didactic article, Victor Weisskopf estimated the size of molecules in a liquid from measurements of their surface tension and heat of vaporization. If atoms are exceedingly small, then only a ...
5
votes
1answer
490 views
Why do mirages only appear on hot days?
A previous question asked why the road sometimes appears wet on hot days.
The reason is that when there's a temperature gradient in the air, it causes a gradient in the index of refraction, causing ...
7
votes
3answers
488 views
How can we make an order-of-magnitude estimate of the strength of Earth's magnetic field?
The source of Earth's magnetic field is a dynamo driven by convection current in the molten core. Using some basic physics principles (Maxwell's equations, fluid mechanics equations), properties of ...
