# All Questions

4k views

### For an isolated system, can the entropy decrease or increase?

In any sizable system, the number of equilibrium states are much, much greater then the number of non-equilibrium states. Since each accessible micro state is equally probably, it is overwhelmingly ...
75 views

### Motivation For Definitions [closed]

I noticed in my physics textbook that we define certain relationships to be true. I can see how this is considerably helpful in deriving other relationships from these definitions; for instance, take ...
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### What is the Riemann curvature tensor contracted with the metric tensor?

Can the Ricci curvature tensor be obtained by a 'double contraction' of the Riemann curvature tensor? For example $R_{\mu\nu}=g^{\sigma\rho}R_{\sigma\mu\rho\nu}$.
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### Thermodynamics of a bar, specific heat

I have a problem and I don't understand how the book solves it. It says I have a bar such that $$F=aT^2(L-L_0)$$ where $F$ is the force or tension of the bar, $T$ is the temperature, and $L$ the ...
46 views

### Improvements on a makeshift dessicator

I am a first year undergrad working in a lab, and I have these Plexiglass containers that I tried to convert to dessicators, since the commercial bell jars are really expensive. I used these weather ...
187 views

### What are the statuses of Silicene and Graphene for real world circuit production?

A lot of hype is out there about both of them (especially the latter) and I was wondering if there is more concrete information about them other than the news IBM posted on a circuit 2 years ago and ...
94 views

### Supersymmetric Sigma Model

I was working through the Mirror Symmetry book by Clay Math Institute. It deals with supersymmetric sigma model in 10.4 section. It doesn't derive how the action is invariant under the variation. I am ...
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### The equilibrium temperature distribution of a pan in vacuum

If a rectangular pan has a constant and uniform temperature $T$ first, then put it in a vacuum. Considering the effect of thermal radiation, the temperature distribution of the rectangular blackbody ...
394 views

### Monkey and tree - projectile motion

The famous scenario: A hunter is trying to shoot a Monkey hanging from a tree. However, this question doesn't mention the monkey jumping down from the tree or trying to escape. (The hunter uses a ...
73 views

### Where to find probability density plots for all elements?

Does anyone know where I can find something similar to this, but for all elements? I would love to find something with the same image quality. Also, is there any software that can produce images ...
56 views

### Hypotheses a hindrance in physics?

In a recent episode of the Big Picture Science podcast, there was an interview with Stuart Firestein (chair of the Columbia University Biology Department) in which he discussed his book Ignorance: How ...
754 views

### How do I find the magnitude and angle of the velocity?

I'm confused about the following problem. A ball is shot from the ground into the air. At a height of $9.1\text{ m}$, its velocity is $v = (7.6\hat{\imath}+ 6.1\hat{\jmath})\text{m/s}$, with ...
188 views

### Does special relativity unify the two phenomena at the base of Faraday's flux law (was Feynman wrong in this case)?

Consider Faraday's flux law for the EMF generated in a conductor loop: $$\varepsilon = - \frac{d \phi}{dt},$$ where $\varepsilon$ is the EMF, and $\phi$ is the magnetic flux through the loop. ...
148 views

### Is there a maximum amount of photons that can exist in a certain amount of space?

If you have a set amount of space, lets say 10 cubic centimeters, and you would be able to trap photons in there. If you would then add more and more photons to that space, could you then go on ...
138 views

### Correct expression for D'Alembert operator in $c=1$ units

In QFT texts with $c=1$ units (most of them), D'Alembert operator is written as: $$\Box ={\partial^2 \over \partial t^2} - \nabla^2$$ For pedagogical purposes, however, some texts don't set $c=1$, ...
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### Why is there no aberation of a static electric field, but there is aberation for EM radiation?

So consider the case where there is a particle and a moving telescope: If the particle is located at position 1, and the telescope is moving horizontally as shown, the EM radiation appears to be ...
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### What does net mechanical efficiency mean?

I often see the term "net mechanical efficiency" used in literature, but I am not quite sure what it means, and what the difference is between it and "normal" efficiency. Take this sentence for ...
667 views

### Irreversible process

I have this problem. I have an ideal gas that goes through an irreversible adiabatic decompression. I have the initial state (P,T,V), and the final pressure, and I have to calculate the entropy ...
127 views

### How is the physical Lagrangian related to the constrained minimization Lagrangian?

If we're minimizing an energy $V(q)$ subject to constraints $C(q) = 0$, the Lagrangian is $$L = V(q) + \lambda C(q).$$ I have fairly solid intuition for this Lagrangian, namely that the energy ...