# All Questions

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### Why is powdered sugar less dense than granulated sugar?

The density of powdered sugar is about 20% lower than that of granulated sugar. There is small composition difference between the two - about 3% cornstarch and 0.5% water in powdered sugar, but that's ...
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### How does the friedmon solution to Einstein's equations resolve paradox of bounded infinities?

This article talks about a potential explanation of dark matter based on something called the "friedmon." I have no interest in the dark matter question, but the article has made me curious about ...
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### Thermal Conductivity of Metals

My textbook says on conduction: These 'free' electrons can rapidly carry energy from the hotter to the cooler regions of the metal, so metals are generally good conductors of heat. A metal rod at ...
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### A gas close to zero Kelvin

Consider an adiabatic expansion of an ideal gas that work is done against friction or a piston. Since no heat exchange can occur the gas keep on losing energy and its temperature decreases and the gas ...
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### Why do books write $X(f)$ when they mean actually mean $\lvert X(f)\rvert$?

All books write $X(f)$ in plots - the Fourier transform of $x(t)$ - when they actually mean $\lvert X(f)\rvert$, without even mentioning in passing that they are dropping the mod sign. And also they ...
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### Analytical problems with Green's function

I have a question about the right definition of the Green's function in physics. Why do we introduce (or not) an infinitesimal, positive number $\eta$ to the following definition: \left[ ...
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### How does the Alcubierre drive warp space in the vicinity of it's destination?

I don't understand how this could work. So lets say the drive is set to go 30,000,000 meters in a straight line to get to a distant planet. Now lets say the ship size is 20 meters. Now let's make ...
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### Massless $\phi^3$ theory in $d=6$ dimensions

I am asked to calculate renormalization for a massless $\phi^3$ theory in $d=6$ dimensional space using dimensional regularization. I'm having trouble finding the three-point vertex correction as one ...
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### Analogues of mass, space, or time? [closed]

I began wondering about this when working through this question: is there anything analogous to spacetime or matter? Both spacetime (note: most of what I know of about the concept of spacetime comes ...
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### When falling through the air, does swinging arms/legs actually help anything?

Let's say someone jumps off an Olympic-sized diving board into a pool below (so air resistance is negligible). As soon as they jump, they start swinging their arms. Does this help them stay upright ...