# All Questions

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### Do all black holes have a singularity?

If a large star goes supernova, but not enough mass collapses to form a black hole, it often forms a neutron star. My understanding is that this is the densest object that can exist because of the ...
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### Best periods to observe Magellanic Clouds?

When is the best period of the year to observe the LMC and SMC in the Southern hemisphere, so that I can observe them at a reasonable time (e.g. around 10 in the evening?). I am in Sydney.
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### What nonlinear deformations will a fast rotating planet exhibit?

It is common knowledge among the educated that the Earth is not exactly spherical, and some of this comes from tidal forces and inhomogeneities but some of it comes from the rotation of the planet ...
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### Action - Reaction pair, through photons

Here's an example to describe the issue Supossed a high power laser (eg a 100 kW laser, ie, electromagnetic weapons) is fired to a target, then it will receive energy and move. (and likely to burn or ...
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### Sun-Earth Virtual Gravitons?

How many virtual gravitons do the sun and earth exchange in one year? What are their wavelengths?
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### bandgaps for 2D square lattice with potential of the form V=V(x) + V(y) - what are the general properties?

Let us consider Bloch wave function solutions for a particle confined to a 2D square lattice with a potential of the form $V=V(x) + V(y)$ (that is, one that can be factorized). In this case we can ...
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### Wigner's friend and intersubjectivity in quantum mechanics

Suppose there's a radioactive material and a 1/2 quantum probability of detecting it by a Geiger counter. This puts the system in a superposition. Also suppose you are in the same room, and the walls ...
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### Misunderstanding of Special Relativity

Person A in reference frame A watches person B travel from Star 1 to Star 2 (a distance of d). Of course, from person B's reference frame, he is at rest and is watching Star 2 traveling to him. ...
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### Is 3+1 spacetime as privileged as is claimed?

I've often heard the argument that having 3 spatial dimensions is very special. Such arguments are invariably based on certain assumptions that do not appear to be justifiable at all, at least to me. ...
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### What is the dominant cause for ocean waves at a beach?

What is the dominant cause for ocean waves at a beach? Are they the result of wind/pressure difference? If so, the waves do seem to exist in similar intensity even during relative quiet times of the ...
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### How can I physically interpret voltage and current?

My understanding of an electrical current is that it is the flow of electrons through a material. The only magnitude I can fathom for this process is the number of electrons which are flowing. I know ...
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### If you removed every particle from space…? [closed]

I'm trying to find something Einstein (I think) said about time...It was something like.. "If you removed every particle from space and were left with only one pocket watch (clock, timepiece?), time ...
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### Statistical physics of molecular dissociation of a diatomic gas

Say there are $N$ atoms of type $A$ in a box of volume $V$ and they are undergoing a reversible association-dissociation reaction $A + A = A_2$. Let an $A$ atom have mass $m$, and hence the molecule ...
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### QM interpretation of Larmor precession

Typically when I think of a spin moment in an external field, I visualize it classically in terms of a magnetic moment precessing around the external field vector. Now how is this described quantum ...
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### Recommended progression with which to learn physics for fun

I enjoy reading up on new topics in physics and astronomy, and learning the concepts and ideas in the major theories, like relativity and quantum mechanics. Unfortunately, one thing that I lack ...
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### Why do Engineers manipulate coordinate systems? [closed]

When tackling a physics problem, An Engineer will manipulate the axes/coordinate system where a Mathematicians and/or Physicists will use the original coordinate system and math. Why do Engineers ...
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### What would be the effective resistance of the ladder of resistors having n steps

I'm a tutor. This is a high school level problem. In high school, every one have might have solved a problem of effective resistance of a ladder of resistors having infinite steps. Now the problem is ...
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### Explain how (or if) a box full of photons would weigh more due to massless photons

I understand that mass-energy equivalence is often misinterpreted as saying that mass can be converted into energy and vice versa. The reality is that energy is always manifested as mass in some ...
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### Why doesn't a phone charge faster, rather than slower when it is in use

In Physics class, we were building parallel circuits, and as more lights were attached in parallel, they got brighter (as more power was being provided to the lights, and the resistance decreases). ...
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### Uniqueness of Helmholtz decomposition?

Helmholtz theorem states that given a smooth vector field $\pmb{H}$, there are a scalar field $\phi$ and a vector field $\pmb{G}$ such that $$\pmb{H}=\pmb{\nabla} \phi +\pmb{\nabla} \times \pmb{G},$$ ...
A stationary observer very close to the horizon of a black hole is immersed in a thermal bath of temperature that diverges as the horizon is approached. $$T^{-1} = 4\pi \sqrt{2M(r-2M)}$$ The ...