# All Questions

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### Determining focal length and positions of principal planes

I have been stuck on this problem for a few days now, and I am still not confident which approach to take with this question. I am consider using the Gullstrand Equation, but I hear some of my ...
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### Path of a swinging object on a rope [on hold]

With my lanyard in hand (weighted by my keys), a gentle swinging motion will put the keys in pendulum motion, swinging back and forth. Pendulum motion is relatively easy to model since it is ...
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### Which date the twin paradox was formulated first time? [migrated]

Any research about real measurements with faster moving than me systems - like GPS for example - leads to a mix of different sideway phenomenons like different gravitational potential on earth and in ...
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### Gauss' Law and Electric Field Close to a Ball

So I've learned about Gauss' law and I have something in my head. Why does electric field that is very close to a ball is not close to infinity. Take a look at this image: As we can see, if we make ...
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### How many photons are there in free space on average

Estimates of the amount of for example "dark matter" are of interest to the cosmologists. However, I have never seen an estimate of how many "free" photons could be speeding about in the known ...
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### Action - Reaction?

I got to know that when a book is kept on a table. Earth attracts it due to Gravitational force. The book responds by attracting the earth with same force. (An action-reaction pair) The book is kept ...
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### Deriving Wave Function for Scattering States with Delta-Function Potential

I am following the Griffiths Book on Quantum Mechanics, and am following the derivation for the wave function for Delta-Function Potentials. $$V(x) = -\alpha \delta(x)$$ In the scattering states, ...
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### Cause for spikes in trinity bomb test

In Richard Rhodes' book, The Making of the Atomic Bomb, I was reading about the Trinity nuclear test. High speed photos were taken and this one is from <1ms after the detonation. The book mentions ...
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### Why am I not shocked when I touch a tree, and the tree touches a power line? [on hold]

Why am I not shocked when I touch a tree, and the tree touches a power line?
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### Downforce formula [on hold]

I need a formula force calcuating the down force generated by a NASCAR. I have done research and found some answers on google but i don't know what the formulas mean. So i was wondering if any body ...
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### Can an absorbed photon be emitted as two photons?

I am taking an intro to astronomy class, and have touched upon absorption and emission lines and etc, the prof asked this question in class and got me thinking. I would want to say no, because one ...
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### Question about the superconformal index

According to arXiv:1507.08553v1, the superconformal index, defined by $$I(\beta_j) = \mbox{Tr}_{\mathcal{H}}(-1)^F e^{-\gamma\{Q,Q^\dagger\}}e^{-\sum_{j}\beta_j t_j}$$ is independent of the ...
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### Why is a stellarator-type nuclear fusion reactor so oddly-shaped?

My first impression: It's a mess. Why is it shaped like that? I can't find any info about its shape other than it's a special arrangement of magnetic coils. (link) Here's some more images of it on ...
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### Why is power dissipated in a circuit maximum when external resistance is equal to the internal resistance in the circuit? [on hold]

[![question 24][1]][1]Suppose in a circuit the battery has emf 6V and internal resistance 3ohm. It is connected to an external resistance = R ohm. According to my ...
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### Was the matter-energy content of our universe always distributed in the same ratios?

Currently, Dark energy (68.3%) and Dark matter (26.8%) together constitute about 95.1% total matter-energy content of the universe while only 4.9% is ordinary baryonic matter. Was this always the ...
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### Wigner functions, symmetry

I'm trying to get more insight into quasiprobability distributions, as for example the Wigner function. There are some Wigner functions, which are symmetric. Symmetric: Fock state Thermal states ...
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### Can this Temperature Scale be Considered an absolute temperature scale?

Me and My friend are having a discussion about Absolute Temperature Scales. I think Absolute Temperature Scales are those who have their zero on Absolute zero. So Can we define a new Scale (say ...
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### What impact does water vapour have on incoming solar radiation?

About 55% of solar radiation at TOA (ie ~700 w/m^2 at peak) is in the infra red. This compares to about 530 w/m^2 at peak of terrestrial IR. Water vapour acts on this radiation, blocking and ...
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### When were quarks discovered?

I know this sounds stupid. Especially to those of you who are actual physicists. I am a 7th grade above-level student who knows a little bit more that the basics of physics. I have recently discovered ...
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### Bohr on wholeness?

I vaguely remember that it was Bohr who insisted that in a quantum experiment the whole experimental situation (but excluding the classical preparation and detection devices) must be considered as a ...
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### boundary condition of electrical field

The boundary condition of electrical field is well known. $$E^{\perp} _{above} -E^{\perp} _{below} = \frac{\sigma}{\epsilon_0}$$ Griffiths wrote that where there is no surface charge $E^{\perp}$ is ...
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### Fermi's theory of beta decay - Does Fermi's Hamiltonian have the wrong transformation properties?

I'm studying the theory of beta decays as proposed by Fermi in the 30's, and I found an inconsistency between the transformation properties that he claims for his Hamiltonian and the transformation ...
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### Help to solve a circuit with capacitor and resistor

Till now I'd never solved a circuit with resistor and capacitor. I'd seen the problem and tried to solve. But now I am in a doubt.The circuit was like that- My attempt-
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### Shouldn't atoms of the same element repel each other?

Shouldn't the same type of atoms repel each other due to electrostatic charge?
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### Is a type I Universe possible?

A type I universe (according to Max Tegmark) is a universe that is infinite and looks everywhere more or less like our universe does. Tegmark claims that within this infinity there are regions say ...
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### What is frequency response of vibrating string? [duplicate]

If I transform wave equation for vibrating string Mx′′+Cx′+Kx=b(t) in linear system using $x_1(t)=x(t)$ and $x_2(t)=x_1^{'}(t)$ vibrating string equation becomes $Md_tx_2(t)+Cx_2(t)+Kx_1(t)=b(t)$. ...
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### Why neutrinos are weakly interacting? [duplicate]

I recently attended a talk on neutrinos, where the speaker said there are billions of neutrinos passes through our body every second, but in our lifetime the probability of alteast one neutrino ...
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### Why is reflected light polarised?

Why is reflected light polarised? I have learnt about Brewster's angle, and how at a particular angle all light reflected is polarised, but do not understand why. Is this something that could be ...
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### Weyl semi metal vs entanglement entropy

In 2+1D, entanglement entropy (EE) is crucial for identifying a topological phase. What happens in 3+1d case? e.g. what are the behaviours of EE in WSM and trivial states?
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### If I push my hands against each other, why does the stronger one move the weaker one if the forces should be equal and opposite [duplicate]

If I were pushing my hands against each other, the stronger arm will move the weaker arm, but if all forces have an equal and opposite reaction, why does the weaker one move?
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### Self-energy of a Fermi liquid

A weakly correlated many-electron system can be viewed in a first approximation as a Fermi liquid, meaning that it behaves similarly to a non-interacting electron gas with renormalized parameters. In ...
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### Why eyepiece does not resolve image formed by objective lens further?

In my book it is written that "The angular resolution of the telescope is determined by the objective of the telescope. The stars which are not resolved in the image produced by the objective cannot ...
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### What is my real weight? [duplicate]

My weighting machines notes my weight to be 65. Should I read it 65N or 65kg. PS: I only need a correct comment. This question is different, since, I know very clearly what mass and weight are. But ...
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### Why does time always flow forward?

According to the BBC Earth " Physics says that any event in our day-to-day lives could happen in reverse, at any time".Then why can't we just turn time backwards?
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### How does the Moon influence atmospheric pressure?

I have just read in the Telegraph an article entitled Moon overhead makes rainfall lighter, scientists conclude. In that article there is the following statement: When the moon is overhead, its ...
They say that if $A = X \times Y$, with $X$ statistically independent of $Y$, then $$\frac{\Delta{A}}{A}=\sqrt{ \left(\frac{\Delta{X}}{X}\right)^2 + \left(\frac{\Delta{Y}}{Y}\right)^2 }$$ I can't ...
Given an harmonic oscillator I need to calculate the eigenvector $|x=0\rangle$. Knowing that $$x|x=0\rangle = 0 \quad \Rightarrow \quad (a + a^\dagger) | x = 0 \rangle = 0$$ I started to plug in the ...