# All Questions

82 views

### Harmonic Motion [closed]

A light elastic string is stretched between two points, one lying vertically below the other. A particle is attached to the midpoint of the string, causing it to sink a distance h. Assuming that the ...
25 views

### Effects of Electron/Ion Particle Spray on Antennae

I was wondering if an antenna could pick up some sort of signal if it was exposed to a spray of electrons or ions. For instance I have a patch antenna calibrated for 300 MHz. The patch antenna was ...
47 views

### Plane wave reflection

Using the plane wave reflection equation... $$1-R=T \space ?$$ I cannot find the symbol of reflection constant so i will call it as "L" 1+L = T What ...
147 views

### Can you help me with physics lab calculations? [closed]

My question is, how do you find the torque of a rotating spool with a connected string being pulled down by its hanging mass? So in this experiment we had a machine with two rotating discs, one on ...
92 views

### How light causes increase in temperature

Temperature is the measure of movements of atoms. So if something is said to have high temperature it means that its atoms are moving fast or have high KE energy. There are basically two ways heat ...
87 views

### Aren't all electrons the same? So what about electron that absorbs photon?

I learned that electron absorbs a photon and goes into higher energy state. But also all electrons are identical. What is a difference between the electron in low orbital energy state? and the high ...
34 views

### Centripetal acceleration and gravitational acceleration on a thread [closed]

This is a question from my physics textbook. "A $200$ gram weight is suspended in a $2.5m$ long thread in the roof. The weight is pulled out sideways, creating the angle $\alpha$ and is then ...
60 views

### Electron in strong magnetic field [closed]

What if we apply a very strong magnetic field to an electron so that it's position be a constant. Then if it's position is constant, it's momentum will also be a constant. But it is in violation of ...
97 views

### How does physicists calculate the gravitational self collapsing force of a star?

The nuclear fusion taking place inside the stars opposes its gravitational self collapsing force. But, how does physicists calculate it? I just know the classical gravitational theory and not a bit of ...
134 views

### Calculate the acceleration of a moving elevator [closed]

An elevator is moving down with uniform acceleration. A man inside the elevator who wants to measure the acceleration drops a coin as soon as the elevator starts. The coin is 6ft above the floor of ...
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### LC Oscillator and relativity

There are two identical LC oscillators with electronic counters attached indicating how many times they have oscillated (from the time they are turned on). They are turned on simultaneously and one is ...
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### Does Archimedes law depend of lack of matter?

I would like to know if Archimedes law take in equation the lack of matter. Fluid density at 1. An object with density of 0 (or near 0) is put in liquid, it's fixed. The external sphere where liquid ...
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### What is the difference between scale-free network and small-world network? [closed]

What is the difference between scale-free network and small-world network? I can't understand from the definitions around the web if they are both the same name for one thing. Do both follow a ...
122 views

### How can doped semiconductor be neutral?

I have studied about the two types of doping which result in p and n type semiconductors. I also came to know that they are neutral. But, how can it be? Is it that the positive charge(holes) in ...
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### does the current's direction on a loop with a magnetic field affect the torque?

I have a question in my book The question is very easy, but then my solutions manual gave me unexpected answers I don't get how in d) they conclude the vectors go in the opposite direction, but ...
57 views

### Tension and Newton's Laws

I was wondering if tension on both ends of a rope is still the same, even if there is objects with different weights on both sides of the rope.
108 views

### The Emperor's New Mind or Shadows of the mind? [closed]

OK - I have never posted on this site before, and I hope this question isn't closed as "request for reference" but here goes: I'm a software guy who likes to dabble in math, physics and cosmology. ...
60 views

### Vector Summation [closed]

When two vectors are sketched from a single point, the angle between them is θ. Show that the size of their vector summation is given in the expression: $\sqrt{A^2 + B^2 +2ABcosθ}$. Any ...
91 views

### Why moving charges causes Magnetic Field (module and direction)?

Why an constant electric current in a wire produces a magnetic field, that circles that wire? I know that this question was posted before. However, all answers talk about Maxwell equations, axioms, ...
72 views

### Vectors question? [closed]

I am stuck on this vectors question I have for home work. Does anything think they can help point me in the right direction on how to solve this? An explorer is caught in a whiteout (in which the ...
67 views

### Surface Area Relative to Element Distribution

We tend to find heavier elements like iron and others toward the center of celestial bodies. Lighter elements like carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are almost always towards the surface. That makes ...
88 views

### Speed of the light, is it everywhere light?

I have studied Electronics Engineering and of course the LED. I was wondering that they claim that the speed of light is $3\cdot10^8$ m/s, but do they claim the speed of the light of the sun rays ? ...
175 views

### Electric circuit question [closed]

http://www.fisme.uu.nl/nno/opgaven/bestanden/Ronde1-Theorie-2009.pdf, question 5: You have to calculate Id when the switch at S is opened, when its closed, the Id = 0.5 A. All resistors are ...
134 views

### Normalizing a Wave Function

How would I normalize the wave function: $\psi (x)$ = $Ce^{i\rho_0x/\hbar}e^{-|x|/2\Delta x}$? I squared it, which got rid of the imaginary part-Then I considered breaking up the absolute value-but ...
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### Explanation for the minus sign in $\Omega_3$ in the Kappa symmetry of the Green - Schwarz formalism for F1 strings

Just so that there can be more higher - level physics questions here, let me post this question + answer. Also because I'm a bit sad that there are almost no questions on the Green-Schwarz ...
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### What is the $n$ in the formula in Solid Mechanics? [closed]

The formula is about the critical force for the elastic beam that is supported by its joints: $$P_{cr} ~=~ n^2 \pi^2 \frac{EI}{ L^2}$$ It should be based on the book Parnes - Solid ...
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### Lunar and solar tides [closed]

I just read the following statement in a book: If the diameter of the earth increased by 20%, both lunar and solar tides would be weakened with lunar tides weakening more than solar tides. What ...
980 views

### Net torque on a frictionless pulley

If we consider a system comprising a massless string over a frictionless pulley,then we write the torque equation as $(T_2-T_1)R=I a$ ,where $T_2$ and $T_1$ are tensions on either side of the pulley. ...
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### What would stop a pendulum swinging forever in vacuum? What kind of friction is in vacuum? [duplicate]

Suppose I put a pendulum of metal ball and very thin rope in highest achievable vacuum. What would keep it from not swinging forever?
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### Metric tensor in General Relativity or otherwise [closed]

What is the metric tensor? How can this be a covariant and contravariant tensor, or a mixed tensor, by raising and lowering indices? How it relates to distance function (metric) and angles? How ...
305 views

### Why does a car go down the hill backwards even though the engine keeps running? [closed]

I dont get why a forward gear allows sliding a car backwards. Any ideas? So this is a car with an automatic transmission. The transmission is in the drive mode (move forward). Car is at the slope ...
166 views

### Why terminal velocity exists?

Why the acceleration of free-falling bodies become zero after some time? My only idea would be that the closer to the core of Earth we are, the value of "g" the lower becomes (since the mass below the ...
147 views

### If time stops for an object, does that object feel gravity?

As far as I understand The GTR, it is said that Mass bends space-time which causes gravity. So every Mass in this universe is flowing through space-time example earth is moving along with space-time ...
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### why does the phase change when wave reflects from rigid boundary [duplicate]

when the wave is reflected from open end there is no phase change but when it reflects from the rigid surface its phase changes. in open surface its phase change is 0 and in rigid surface its phase ...
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### Which “space-time coincidences” are described by a “co-ordinate system in which the gravitational field does not appear”?

In Einstein's exposition of the foundations of General Relativity (cmp. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Foundation_of_the_Generalised_Theory_of_Relativity , end of §3) there appears an emphasis on ...
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### Magnification, and it's application [closed]

I'm having a problem with a very trivial thing- magnification makes things bigger. But if it doubles or triples the size AND distance away, why does it even help? I think I'm just ignoring something ...
48 views

### Paraphrasing speed and heat capacity [closed]

Can we call speed the change in distance per time? Further, would you phrase heat capacity as change in heat per temperature or change in temperature per heat? The reason for this question is that ...
239 views

### Kinetic energy of a rotating rod [closed]

I have no idea where to even begin with this... Find the kinetic energy of a record of uniform density, mass 50 gm and radius 10 cm rotating at 33 and 1/3 revolutions per minute. Normally I would ...
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### Are the forces I'm using correct? (ball in air) [closed]

I have been working on a program which should simulate all the forces on a spherical object. Right now those are balls, but they can easily be changed to something else. These are the formulas I use ...
103 views

### Cosmological constant vs. quintessence scalar field

I understand the basic idea of these two concepts, but I have question about what they really "are" (a little hard for me to put into words). When one talks about the cosmological constant, it seems ...
98 views

### Expressing a force in components [closed]

If there is an object on some ramp, how do I express its weight in terms of vectors orthogonal and parallel to the ramp surface? For example, if the object has a weight $\vec W=m\vec g$, then how do ...
190 views

### What's a “noninertial frame”? [duplicate]

In some PSE questions or answers such as here (and comments below) there appears the notion of "accelerating frame" or (more or less equivalently) "noninertial frame". What's the definition of this ...
61 views

### Is the universe we know just shaped due to time? [closed]

Call me a daydreamer, but I could not stop myself for asking this question. I was idle when something ticked me and struck my head. I was thinking about universe, speed of light, and how time works. ...
117 views

### Eigenvalue of Optical waveguide [closed]

Consider you have a slab waveguide having n1=3.5 and n2=1.45. The value of critical angel is 24.5 degree approx. Similarly effective refractive index will be in between 1.45 and 3.5. How can we find ...
295 views

### What is probability to find electron at certain distance from nucleus

Given for example, Hydrogen electron in ground state. What is probability to find that electron at certain distance (not interval of distances) from center of nucleus, for example at radial coordinate ...
390 views

### Can a object with constant acceleration change its trajectory?

That's a question from previous Physics tests which I am using to study. I would say that no, if the acceleration of the object is constant, its velocity, which is directly related to the ...
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### heat energy and resistance of an elctric circuit

Very often it is said that "heat is developed" in a resistance when there is an electric current in it. But as far as I know heat is defined as a form of energy being transferred due to difference in ...
215 views

### Problem from Sakurai about a delta-function potential [closed]

Can you help me with this problem from Sakurai: A particle of mass m in one dimension is bound to a fixed center by an attractive delta-function potential: V(x) ~= ~-a\delta(x) , \qquad ...