# All Questions

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### Is it possible for quasiparticles to form charge density wave of quasiparticles?

What if the quasiparticle has fractional charge? -----UPDATE------ For example, 1d kink has e/2 charge, if view kink like electrons in 1d (we know there is 1d charge density wave of electrons), is ...
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### How can the black body radiation formula be so general?

In the derivation of the black body radiation formula, there is nothing whatsoever that relates to a particular/specific material. But we nonetheless use this formula for several distinct sources in ...
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### Induced emf in stationary conductor lying in varying magnetic field

We explain that motional emf is induced because charges in a conductor move along with the conductor and as a result a magnetic force pushes them to one side of the conductor. But in case of a ...
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### Why don't we take into account the width contraction of the wire in calculating the stress strain relationship for a stretched wire?

In the stress-strain relationship for a stretched wire, we say that $\frac{F}{A}=Y\frac{β}{l}$; where β is the change in length and the rest have their usual meaning. We also say that there is a ...
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### Should the universe be modeled by perfect fluid or ideal gas？

In physical cosmology, the content of the Universe is modeled by the stress-energy-momentum tensor of perfect fluid, with energy density rho(t) and pressure P(t). I'm wondering, why not use ideal gas ...
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### Angular Momentum Conservation Definition [duplicate]

Did I missed something in angular momentum definition? Two identical bodies rotate around mass center. Now I invented anti-gravity and turning gravitational switch off. Those two bodies will move now ...
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### How is photon time of flight/range over sub-millimeter distances measured?

I was reading a paper that described how the force a low-thrust torsion pendulum was measured. In it, the paper states a laser is bounced off a mirror and the displacement is "...based upon the beam ...
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### How forces work during hammerthrow

I am not sure if I understand how forces work during hammerthrow. From my understanding athlete works with Fmuscle force on a ball and rotate it and a ball works with equal opposite force on an ...
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### Sub-light speeds and momentum conservation law

Let's imagine a boat on a lake. Observer A is sitting on the shore. Observer B is sitting in the boat on the bow. Observer B has a ball attached to the end of a string which he holds in his hand. ...
156 views

### Distance along projectile motion [closed]

I was doing kinematics these days, projectile motion. And I did the basic concepts: range, max height, time of flight, projectile on inclined plane. I am curious to know how we would solve a question ...
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### Will a liquid boil quicker if it is stirred versus if it is not stirred

Will the whole liquid boil quicker on a stove-top if it stirred versus if not stirred? What should be the frequency of stirring to get to boiling point quickly? please explain your hypotheses with ...
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### How would one begin to try to identify the properties of the mathematical structure corresponding to physical reality?

I was thinking about the Mathematical universe hypothesis and a natural question popped into my mind: Assuming that the universe (by universe I mean the complete physical reality) is really ...
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### What's the difference between energy and temperature in field theory?

I'm familiar with the formalisms for both zero temperature and finite temperature field theory, but (somewhat embarrassingly) I don't actually have a good physical intuition for when physical ...
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### (Un)countability in QFT

I am a mathematician self-studying physics, and a currently working on QFT with Srednicki's book. One thing that bothers me is that for a scalar field (in the Hamiltonian version) there is a ...
114 views

### Expansion in Quantum Fluctuations of the Path Integral

In this post: Dimensionless Constants in Physics there is a discussion about dimensionful vs. dimensionless constants in physics. In the context of this discussion, I'm wondering about the ...
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### Minkowski to Euclidean

When dealing with solutions to Einstein's equations given by a 4d metric with signature $(-,+,+,+)$, we're able to move to Euclidean space using some transformation so that our signature is now ...
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### Potential energy of a dipole in a uniform electric field convention?

When finding the potential energy of a dipole in a uniform electric field, I was told by my lecturer that the convention is that the potential energy is 0 when the dipole moment and electric field ...
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### Why are objects opaque?

I have been searching the internet for answers to this question, but haven't found a convincing one. I would appreciate any response. I understand why objects are opaque/black. For example when ...
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### The motion of the particle satisfies $\textbf{v} = \textbf{c}\times \textbf{r}$

Why does a particle with position $\textbf r(t)$ that satisfies $\textbf{v}(t) = \textbf{c}\times \textbf{r}(t)$ follow a circle that lies in a plane perpendicular to $\textbf{c}$ with centre on a ...
954 views

### Why does the sky suddenly look gray through this window?

I am looking to the windowed roof of my building, and I notice that the sky, which has few white clouds, sometimes looks completely gray, as if there was a huge cover of gray clouds, but there are ...
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### Is interstellar flight possible in near future in a way that would keep our civilization alive?

Is interstellar flight possible in the near future in a way that would keep our civilization alive? I mean is it practically possible to obtain technology that would enable us to travel to nearby ...
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### Would a 9v battery be able to produce gas bubbles by water electrolysis at 1000 meters?

I'm currently working on an underwater robot and was hoping to use the gas bubbles for buoyancy control .
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### Can an electron make a transition between sub energy states of the same energy level?

Electrons make transition between different energy levels - say, $n =3$ to $n=2$ or $n =1$, as per the applicable selection rules. My question is: can an electron make transitions between sub energy ...
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### The particle content of a given state

In Carroll's we read ...The Unruh effect teaches us the most important lesson of Quantum Field Theory (QFT) in curved spacetime, the idea that "vacuum" and "particles" are observer-dependent ...
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### Does pulling or pushing take more effort? [duplicate]

In which case is more effort needed: when you push or when you pull? We have a common experience that man tends to first push anything. How it is justified and what are the reasons behind this?
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### How to differentiate between rotating frame and linearly accelerating frame?

Two friends, $A$ and $B$ are part of an experiment. $A$ is placed in a closed box and made to accelerate in free space at an acceleration $g$. $B$ is also placed in a closed box, but is made to rotate ...
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### Physics classics [closed]

I would like some help to find good and detailed books on the history of physics. Which are the classics in this domain? Which are your favorite?
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### Translation symmetry and Cauchy products

I often meet the following situation: $$\sum\limits_{n=0} ^\infty \sum\limits_{k=0} ^n f(k)g(n-k)=\sum\limits_{p=0} ^\infty \sum\limits_{q=0}^\infty f(p)g(q)$$ While intuitively this is very clear ...
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### Optical absorption in multilayer structure

Assume a hypothetical 3 media/ 1 layer structure with the following indices of refraction: $$n_1 = 2, n_2 = 2+i0.5, n_3 = 1$$ where the thickness of the layer is 100 nm and wavelength = 1000 nm. ...
719 views

### What trajectory has the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation taken to get to earth?

I have a few related questions: Where is the CMB coming (emitted/reflected/remitted) from? When CMB hits the earth, is that the first thing those photons hit since they were emitted 400 thousand ...
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### The Equation of State for a Degenerate Fermi gas

I have read in Chandrasekhar's paper The highly collapsed configurations of a stellar mass Appendix I the equation of a degenerate Fermi gas as follows: $$n=\frac{8\pi}{h^3}\int^{p_0}_0 p^2dp$$ and ...
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### What is the physical importance of the commutation relations of angular momentum?

What is the physical meaning of these commutation relations: $$[L_{z},L_{\pm}]=\pm\hbar L_{\pm}\tag{1}$$ and $$[L_{+},L_{-}]=2\hbar L_{z} ~?\tag{2}$$
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### Conductivity of Aqueous Ionic Solutions as a Function of Time

It is well-known that an aqueous ionic solution can conduct electricity. Let's take the electrolyte NaCl for example. In the diagram below, the circuit consists of a voltage source, a light bulb, and ...
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### Determine the normalisation constant of a piecewise wavefunction

I'm trying to find the normalisation constant $N$ for the following wavefunction:  \psi\left(x\right) = \left\{ \begin{array}{lr} N \left(x^2 - l^2\right)^2 &\: \left|x\right| \le l ...
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### Constructing SUSY algebra via index structure

Often in literature the SUSY algebra is simply given, but various books, for example Bailin and Love, goes through the trouble of showing how the SUSY commutation relations are the only possible ones ...
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### Geophysical Effects of Supernova Neutrino Pulse

While neutrinos are generally totally harmless, a supernova produces enough of them at once that the neutrino flux would kill you if you could stand close enough (and not be killed by other means ...
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### Free vs bound vectors and torque

When considering basic Newtonian mechanics, we can treat vector as free and move their point of application at will. This is consistent with the affine nature of Euclidean space. However, when ...
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### What restores balance to a repulsive electric force on an electroscope?

I am an amateur physics enthusiast (during the day I am a police officer), and recently, I learned how to build an electroscope. I regret that I am learning how wonderful our universe is so late in my ...
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### Is 'amp' a technically invalid term?

I've been told to use the term ampere in exams and class (I'm in high school), instead of amp as it's not a valid unit, although I've been using the amp for years along with all of my friends who do ...
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### Dissipating light pollution

If all the lights in a city, and the area surrounding it were shut off. How long would it take for the light pollution to clear, so the light from stars could be seen?
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### “A Crash Course in Lagrangian Dynamics”. Is it still available online?

In an Amazon review of "Schaum's Outline of Lagrangian Dynamics" I found this: I recommend that you type "Lagrangian Dynamics" into Google and look at some of the excellent sets of lecture notes ...
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### Penetration and skin depth in 'metallic' magnetic induction tomography (classical electromagnetism)

Does anyone know how AC magnetic fields behave in 'metallic' magnetic induction tomography (MIT). Do they form a magnetic circuit around a metallic specimen or penetrate through it, or both? This ...
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### Understanding action reaction in an example

When I move an object that object should move me as well. I tried standing on a skateboard to reduce friction, and holding a heavy barbell, move myself away from it (while still holding it) but I ...
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### Conservation in space-time curvature

Pardon this possibly naive question. I'm starting to poke around in the topic of General Relativity (as soon as I can pull myself back up out of the vortex of underlying mathematics that I've gotten ...
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### Does anybody know of a source that explains Wick rotation for fermions in 3-dimensional spacetime?

I've been looking for a long time and I've not had a lot of luck. I've found sources that use fermions in 3d Euclidean space but I can't find any that explain the Wick rotation from Minkowski space. ...
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### Changes in planetary orbit?

Forgive a novice and her naive curiosity, but I was wondering about planetary orbit and the aging of planets. As a planet ages, does its transit around its sun/star decrease or increase in speed? ...
I guess it is relatively easy to determine the magnitude of the scattering length $a$. We just need to measure the scattering cross section. In this way, we can determine the value of $a^2$. But ...