# All Questions

73 views

### How to derive the schwarzchild metric?

I'm having trouble differentiating the following when making a change of co-ordinates to determine the Schwarzchild metric. $$r'^{2}=r^{2}C(r)$$ Then taking the total derivative of both sides, the ...
128 views

### Three-plate capacitor [closed]

What is the total capacitance of this capacitor? Is it analogous to the case of inserting a plate into a capacitor (essentially creating two capacitors in series)?
96 views

### Calculate speed of proton at infinity [closed]

I have this problem to solve: Two protons are on the x axis at x=-1 and x=0. An alpha particle is placed at x=2, and the proton on the left is released, find its speed at infinity. I know that this ...
483 views

### Does the mass of a star change as it collapses into a black hole?

I know (I think!) that when a really big star collapses on itself it creates a black hole. My question: When a star collapses, is the mass equal to the mass of the star when it's not a black hole? Or ...
280 views

### The Spin Connection

Why do we need to introduce the spin connection coefficients $\omega_{\mu \space \space b}^{\space \space a}$ in General Relativity? To me, they just look (mathematically) like the Christoffel ...
139 views

### What is the shape of the Sun's orbit around the Milky Way? [closed]

Here is a question for you really bright folks. How does the motion of the sun along the midpoint of the plane of the galaxy look like? I suspect it to travel above and then below the plane but I ...
216 views

### Polar Decomposition of a Complex Scalar Field

People often write a complex scalar field via polar decomposition. What does this parametrization precisely mean? To be more explicit consider the following Lagrangian of a complex scalar field with ...
233 views

### What are the eigenvalues of the Lorentz matrix?

The Lorentz matrix defines the transformation of a four-vector between different frames of reference, such that $$p^{'\mu} = \Lambda^{\mu}_{\ \ \nu}p^{\nu}$$ where in this example $p^{\mu}$ is the ...
80 views

### Why does my eardrum feel strange inside a car?

When I was riding a car (I was not the driver), my eardrum felt a little similar to the case when I was in a plane that was taking off, and little loss of hearing. Nothing was played inside. The ...
102 views

### Why won't this reactionless drive idea work (motor with a moving weight in space)

I know people will say it violates many laws of motion and conservation but could anyone explain why it is so? It's NOT a question about free energy. Imagine a motor in space. It has an arm (rod) ...
159 views

### Intuitive explanation for superfluidity?

I know that superfluidity is caused by the fluid having zero viscosity. This only happens at very low temperature, so the fluid (e.g. Helium-4) is a Bose-Einstein condensate. I also know that in a ...
81 views

### How can current be a smooth curve?

The following is a graph of the current across some circuit element: Note how the current is treated like a smooth continuous function. Even in the analysis of things (i.e. analysis of the ...
225 views

### Why does Gauss's law work for a charge off center in a spherical surface?

CASE 1: Consider an enclosed spherical surface with a charge $q$ at its centre. From Gauss' law we can say that the flux through this sphere is $q/\epsilon_0$. CASE 2: The charge is inside but off ...
100 views

### From a cross section to a probability

This is homework problem: Given the cross-section of a neutrino-electron scattering, what is the probability for a solar neutrino to scatter with a electron as it goes through the center of the Earth? ...
129 views

### Quantum Mechanics - Observable

If $O$ represents an operator corresponding to an observable why does the following equality hold? $$\langle f(x)\, |\, O g(x)\rangle = \langle g(x) \,|\, O f(x) \rangle$$ It is used on the last ...
58 views

### Approximation of skeleton diagrams

I'm studying the diagrammatics for a Bose system (in the superfluid phase) developed by Gavoret and Nozieres (Annals of Physics 28 349 (1964)). In this paper, they show how to solve the problem using ...
21 views

### If two objects collide, will the collision force be twice as big as the original force? [duplicate]

Say, if we have two trucks travelling towards eachother at 60m/s, and those two trucks carry the same payload, and are the same model (aka they're exactly the same), will the collision force be as if ...
76 views

### 'Warp'- type travel; is it possible?

I just re-read an article about space travel, and the same article claimed that Star Trek-type 'warp' nuclear engines ARE theoretically possible, but that it will take around 500 years for humans to ...
132 views

### Inertia matrix of a rod rotating about an axis [closed]

I'll provide a picture for clearer understanding. The problem is to calculate the angular momentum of the rod rotating about the z-axis. I have serious difficulties in deriving the inertia matrix, ...
129 views

### Franck and Hertz graph function [closed]

I need a function whom graph is the following (the Frank and Hertz experiment graph): Currently I wrote the following function: ...
70 views

### Is there just one fundamental frequency?

I read simple definitions of the terms frequency, and fundamental frequency, which defined them thus, Frequency: the number of occurrences of a periodic wave during a second Fundamental Frequency: ...
260 views

### Chemical potential of Bose-Einstein condensation

This is a problem in An Introduction to Thermal Physics. (a)(b) is easy to work out. In (c), I use the formula $N_{excited}=(\frac{T}{T_c})^{3/2}N, \ (T<T_c)$ to calculate how many atoms are ...
50 views

### Rigid rectangle in Schwarzschild

Say I build a perfect rectangle. Side lengths $l_1$ and $l_2$ and perfect right angles. I am on earth and the metric is given by the Schwarzschild metric. Setting $dt=0$ leads to the spatial ...
112 views

### Difference Between Algebra of Infinitesimal Conformal Transformations & Conformal Algebra

in Blumenhagen Book on conformal field theory, It is mentioned that the algebra of infinitesimal conformal transformation is different from the conformal algebra and on page 11, conformal algebra is ...
294 views

### How does the frequency of a particle manifest itself?

In terms of wave-particle duality for, let's say a photon; how would the frequency practically manifest/demonstrate itself? Like, i understand that the frequency is related to the energy a particle ...
4k views

### Was Titanic's captain's decision correct?

I just saw a documentary on Titanic. Someone in that documentary told Captain Smith "Shall we close the water tight doors, sir?" and the Captain replied "No, let it be open. Let the water ...
47 views

### Doppler spectroscopy to verify Earth's speed around the sun

I'm looking for data points to check changes in $z$ as the Earth moves towards and away from a star. I'm finding lots of data for various objects [1] but lots of variation too (for eg, the results for ...
48 views

### Reason for the experiment [closed]

Why is the independent confirmation by separate experiments such as important part of the development of the idea of the existence of electron wave?
122 views

### Why is adiabatic process isentropic?

I have read that adiabatic process is isentropic because there is no heat exchange in an adiabatic process and thus no change in entropy. But my question is - Even in adiabatic process, work can be ...
219 views

### Position dependent speed, how to compute position

I can't solve a problem: $A= 0.5 (ms)^{-1}$, $x_0 = 0.5 m$, $v(t)= A \cdot x^2$, I have to compute the position at $t=3$ ($x_0$ is the initial position). So my guess is that I should be able ...
128 views

### Boundary conditions for the heat equation when solving a mass density gradient

I'm working with a mass density gradient with length $L$ and I'm trying to solve the heat equation in 1-D (mass diffusion equation, $\partial_t\rho(t,x)=D\Delta\rho(t,x)$), but I'm not sure which ...
115 views

### Looking for the name of a physical phenomenon in fluids' mechanics

I have not even an idea about how I would search for that on Google, that is why I'm trying my chance here. As electrical engineer I have no clue about fluid mechanics. We all now that when water is ...
50 views

### Band structure and band index

Please let me know If my understanding is right. For a given $\vec{k}$, $H$ is a function of $\vec{k}$ the energies vary discretely for $n$ ie.,the band index. For a given $n$, we choose all the ...
73 views

### Density of States of Free Particle in One Dimensions

I am using Quantum Mechanics by David H. McIntyre, chapter. This is problem 15.7: Find the density of states $g(E)$ for the case of a free particle in one dimension; further, show that the density of ...
64 views

### Angular momentum Bohr's model

I have been trying to derive speed, radius etc. in hydrogen atom using Bohr's postulates and not neglecting the coulombic attraction on proton. I know that they will be revolving around their centre ...
121 views

### The speed of light and unstable matter

Mr.E is on a luxury spaceship travelling about 1/2 the speed of light and finds a cubic lump of unstable matter(attached to a bomb) in his cabin. He of course is an expert with bombs but this device ...
99 views

### Does timbre consist in pitch and volume?

I read that the physical properties of a sound wave correspond to its audible qualities: pitch, volume, and timbre. However, an oscilloscope uses only two-dimensions to accurately depict the physical ...
76 views

### How far in meters from the Sun's center is the Earth-Sun center of mass?

Like any set of massive objects separated by distance, the Earth and Sun have a center of mass. How far in meters from the Sun's center is the Earth-Sun center of mass? Just curious? Also what percent ...
80 views

### Statistical count

I am reading the book"Heat and Thermodynamics" by Mark Waldo Zemansky and Richard Dittman. In the chapter "Statistical Mechanics" it says if I have $N_{i}$ distinguishable particles in any of $g_{i}$ ...
108 views

### How are magnetic and electric fields transmitted?

This may be a duplicate, but how are (ideally) constant E- and B-/H-fields transmitted thru space? In this situation I like think of EM radiation as a note from a particle informing the universe of a ...
406 views

### Which solution to the electromagnetic wave equation is the most accurate model of monochromatic light?

When a photon is modeled as a monochromatic electromagnetic wave its electric and magnetic components are usually taken to be sine waves (for example here ...
587 views

### How are electric flux calculations not double integrals?

A disk of radius 0.10 m is oriented with its normal unit vector $\hat{n}$ at 30$^{\circ}$ to a uniform electric field $\vec{E}$ of magnitude 2000 N/C. What is the electric flux through the disk? ...
98 views

### Metric for infinite straight cosmic string

A string theory question on my general relativity problem set: Metric is given as $$\mathrm{d}s^2 = -A(r)\mathrm{d}t^2 + B(r)\mathrm{d}r^2 + r^2 \mathrm{d}\theta^2.$$ a) Solve the vacuum equations ...
31 views

### How do I determine resistivity from electron defects of high purity gold?

I am trying to create a plot for the electrical resistivity of high purity gold from 1 K to 1000 K. I found gold's resistivity at 300 K using the Wiedemann-Franz Law based on thermal conductivity data ...
25 views

### Lateral forces on earths surface

If a giant stone sphere was sitting on the earths surface, would it experience a later force due to the earths rotation? For example my intuition tells me that if there was a sphere a mile high ...
353 views

### Protons and Electrons Occupying the Same Space

When it comes to atoms electrons can't fall into the nucleus, which besides the off hand uncertainty explanation, I'm not sure which force prevents them from falling into the nucleus. I thought I ...
76 views

### R-symmetry commutator

I've seen the claim made several placed; Terning's "Modern Supersymmetry" p. 5 on N=1 SUSY algebra states it as well as anyone: The SUSY algebra is invariant under a multiplication of $Q_\alpha$ ...
98 views

### “Imaginary” Perfect Time

In the definition (in one spatial dimension) of $\Delta \tau$ there is the relation: $(\Delta \tau)^2 = (\Delta t)^2 - (\Delta x)^2$ which is invariant. If $(\Delta x)^2 > (\Delta t)^2$ then there ...