# All Questions

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### Why are electromagnetic waves called waves even though they don't travel through a medium?

If waves are defined as the oscillation of a medium, why are electromagnetic waves called waves as they do not need a medium to travel through?
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### How do photons mediate (or create) a force?

Is there a somewhat intuitive explanation as to why the exchange of a photon between two particles causes a force between those particles? Is there a difference in the way massless and massive ...
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### How can a potential step be modelled?

a potential step is given by function $V(x) = V_o, x\geq 0$ and $V(x) = 0, x\leq 0$ Using the relation $- \frac{dV}{dx} = \vec E$ I take the negative derivative of this function, i'll get ...
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### Defining the region in Laplace's equation

1) Consider a sphere S centered at the origin O, where a charge q is present. Is Laplace's equation applicable in the region S? No, right? 2)This is where I go crazy.... Instead of considering the ...
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### A question about elastically scattering

In an electron diffraction pattern, the elastically scattered electrons are distributed over distances in the pattern corresponding to resolutions considerably higher than 1 Å. My question is can it ...
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### Reciprocal to determine Miller indices

If we know the reciprocal space basis of a BCC lattice \begin{align}b_1=\frac{2\pi}{a}(\vec{x}+\vec{y}),b_2=\frac{2\pi}{a}(\vec{z}+\vec{y}),b_3=\frac{2\pi}{a}(\vec{x}+\vec{z})\end{align} how do we ...
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### What is the potential field of an ion near the Bohr radius?

I figure that at large enough distances, the potential field of an ion is just the Coulomb potential for its net charge. But what happens at scales comparable to the ion's Bohr radius? Could there be, ...
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### How eddy current brakes function

Take the following example: where a rectangular sheet of metal is entering a constant magnetic field at $v \dfrac{m}{s}$. Due to Faraday's law of induction + Lenz's law, we can state that an eddy ...
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### Why would a photon striking an electron “make both recoil”? [duplicate]

Why would a photon striking an electron "make both recoil" as I read in an answer to another question. If the photon is massless, how can it make an electron change momentum?
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### I'm having trouble interpreting the Lorentz transformations

There are two frames which I will call O and O'. Suppose I'm someone in O. Are the lorentz transformations a means by which to calculate coordinates on O' in a way that only frames like me would ...
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### What are the alternative explanations for the indirect evidence of gravitational waves?

Even though the consensus is that gravitational waves almost definitely exist, it has been well documented that there is no direct evidence. My question; what are the alternatives to gravitational ...
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### Are there resources for simulating and/or theoretically describing solitons?

Recently there are striking new ideas emerging on "lower level" dynamics with respect to quantum mechanics involving fluid mechanics principles, including hints of soliton-like aspects to particle ...
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### How often does nuclear fusion occur within the human body?

I'm just curious. I figure atoms fuse occasionally just by chance, like quantum tunneling or rogue waves. Is this true? If so, any idea how often?
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### Center Of Mass Troubles

I understand the concept of Center Of Mass(com), but I am having a difficult time interpreting the equation of the simplified case of one-dimension. The book I am reading defines the position of the ...
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### Dynamics inside a rotating spaceship

I have been thinking about this question for a long time and I din't find an explanation in the web for it lets say that we a rotating spaceship in the shape of cylinder, that is rotating in an ...
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### What can happen when 2.3*10^28 positrons collide with 2.3*10^28 electrons? [closed]

I'm interested in this question after a writer friend asked me what happens when a human gets bombarded with positrons. Didn't want to post this under scifi because I want more "scientific" answers... ...
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### Basic question about angular momentum

I've learned that the angular momentum of an object rotating about a fixed axis is $I \omega$. Also, in absence of external torques, $I_1 \omega_1 = I_2 \omega_2$ (meaning, two different events). I ...
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### What is Minkowski spacetime?

I was browsing through an article on spacetime when I caught the words Minkowski Spacetime. A Wikipedia search brought me an article too complex for me to totally understand. So what is Minkowski ...
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### What is the Units for Thermal conductivity?

What are the units for thermal conductivity and why?
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### Are all properties entangled when one property is entangled?

When one or more particles are quantum entangled by say their spin property, do their other measurable properties (e.g., momentum, polarization, whatever?) become entangled as well?
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### How do neutron stars burn? Is it decay or fusion or something else?

What makes a neutron star burn, and what kind of fusion/decay is happening there? What is supposed to happen with a neutron star in the long run? What if it cools, then what do the degenerated matter ...
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### What is the phase-amplitude numerical method?

What is the phase-amplitude numerical method? I heard its used to calculate long range interactions numerically, but I cannot find any papers discussing its method of implementation.
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### Delta correlated white noise

I am studying Brownian motion, specifically Langevin equation. This equation includes a force expressed by a white noise, say $\xi(t)$. One of the hypothesis is that it is $\delta$-correlated (since ...
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### Force of tension on both sides of one string- 2 questions

Here's something I want to ask you guys about: Many times downward N1 and N2 are ignored in exercises. Why? If forces of tension are balanced by each other, why won't objects just fall? Cheers ...
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