# All Questions

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### (A,B)-Representation of Lorentz Group: Coefficient functions of fields

I have a question regarding the construction of general causal fields in Weinberg's book on quantum field theory. In his conventions a field that transforms according to the irreducible (A,B) ...
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### Derivation of Van der Waal's Equation from Helmholtz Free Energy

From the following equation $$f(T,v) = f_{id}(T,v) - RT \ln\bigg(1-\frac{b}{v}\bigg)-\frac{a}{v}$$ how do I derive Van der Waal's equation. In the equation above, $f$ and $f_{id}$ are the Helmholtz ...
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### Does magnet become weaker when exposed to para magnetic objects?

I was wondering whether magnets (permanent) become weaker as they are exposed to para-magnetic object? I was thinking this after seeing this: ...
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### How does a vertical counter-weight system work?

How does a vertical counter-weight system work when you have variable weight on one side? From what I understand from this page elevators use a counter weight to counter-balance the cart and some ...
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### The dimensional formula of distance travelled in $n$th second

I read that the dimensional formula of distance traveled in $n^{th}$ second is same as that of velocity. Okay, the formula for the distance traveled in $n^{th}$ second is $s_t= u+\frac{a}{2}(2t-1)$ ...
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### U(1) anomaly in 4-d

I am reading U(1) axial anomalies in 3+1 d using the path integral method (fujikawa). Am i wrong in assuming that the anomaly can be cancelled by introducing a counter term in the lagrangian that ...
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### What reflects/scatters sunlight most?

The difference between a white object and a mirror is mainly scattering versus reflection. If we neglect this difference and define the reflectivity by input energy minus transmitted energy minus ...
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### Wave packets and amplitude

If a wave packet is given by: My question is basically how do we choose the write $A(k)$ to fit the particle we are looking at, or does it not matter (as my matter as my textbook seems to imply) ...
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### What causes radioactivity? Is it a quantum mechanical effect?

I'm just curious what causes radioactivity. I've been told that in the case of alpha decay, since the nucleus is quantum mechanical, there is a probability that the configuration of protons and ...
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### Is there any argument explaining why light speed is constant no matter how it is measured?

I know the hypothesis that the light speed is constant is retained by experiments. But is there any theory explaining why the light speed is constant no matter how an observer moves relative to light? ...
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### Is there “stay” operator for quantum field operator when creation and annihilation operator exists?

The basic quantum field operator is like a superposition of creation and annihilation operators at each position. This basic quantum field operator seems to suggest that every time field is ...
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### If light is an electric and (magnetic field), how can it be absorbed?

I was wondering how light or any electromagnetic radiation can be "absorbed" if it consists of electric and magnetic fields. For example if there is a charge at point A, and the light reaches point ...
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When we talk about the nonvanishing velocity of an object, are we assuming we are static relative to the object or not?
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### How to find the final momenta of these objects?

Suppose two objects collide head on, where initially object 1 (mass $m_1$) is moving and object 2 (mass $m_2$) is stationary. Now assume that they have the same mass, so $m_1 = m_2$. Which ...
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### On the coordinate independence of general relativity

I've been having a bit of trouble with the idea of coordinate independence in general relativity. Let me start with a simple example that I think illustrates my question conceptually: Say you have ...
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### Help with a ring launcher [on hold]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to be asking this question, so close it if it's not, but I need help on a physics project. My current project is a ring launcher (Elihu Thomson Apparatus). I ...
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### Faraday Effect does light bend or lose energy?

I was reading upon Faraday effect when it said Faraday effect causes a rotation of the plane of polarization That in mind, does this mean the light can be bent around or does the light loose ...
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### How far can one hear sound?

I was thinking how far can I hear sound coming from a concert. Today I was walking at night and I could hear sound from somewhere very far. I started following the sound but sound used to disappear ...
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### Landau's derivation of a free particle's kinetic energy- expansion of a function?

I was reading a bit of Landau and Lifshitz's Mechanics the other day and ran into the following part, where the authors are about to derive the kinetic energy of a free particle. They use the fact ...
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### $F=ma$ calculation taking relativity into account?

Newton's second law of motion states that $f = ma$. However, in this equation, theoretically there could be a value of $f$ and $m$ that results in an acceleration that is enough to push an object past ...
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### What is the physical interpretation of the fermion field Hamilton?

I am still unclear what the hamilitonian of a quantized field is, but what I do know is the hamilitonian of the boson field is defined as \begin{align} H_{\text{boson}} &=& ...
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### Relativity of simultaneity example in Resnick

My question is a follow up to this question about simultaneity. I would have posted it as a comment to the replies for that question, but I wasn't allowed to. When Resnick introduces relativity of ...
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### Which cosmological dark matter theory is most compatible with current particle physics?

This occurred to me while I was writing Why hasn't warm dark matter replaced cold dark matter as the standard model of cosmology? but I think this deserves a question of its own. The background ...
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### Why hasn't warm dark matter replaced cold dark matter as the standard model of cosmology?

The $\Lambda\rm CDM$ (cold dark matter with cosmological constant) is the current standard model of cosmology because the model comes with a long list of phenomena successfully explained by it. ...
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### Sufficient conditions for the energy to be not conserved?

I'm almost embarrased to ask this question because I thought I was by now very confident with classical mechanics. Someone has stated that given a mechanical system with a Lagrangian $L$ s.t. ...
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### If the velocity vector of a moving particle is always perpendicular to the position vector, is the path a circle?

A Newtonian physics question: If the velocity vector of a moving particle is always perpendicular to the position vector, is the only possible path a circle? What if the magnitude of the velocity ...
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### Thermal Velocity

What is thermal velocity? What is it's physical significance? Wikipedia says: The thermal velocity or thermal speed is a typical velocity of the thermal motion of particles which make up a gas, ...
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### Yang Mills theory and SU(N) groups [duplicate]

Trying to get a better understanding of the relation between a SU(N) Yang Mill theory and its number of "color" space. Most of the description I've found so far are either way to complex/specific. ...
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### How to calculate average temperature of Nichrome 80 resistance wire? [on hold]

I know the following: I need the resistance wire to hold a temperature of 400C with a steady current The resistance wire is 1cm in length I have a 1500 mAh battery with 3.2V available What gauge ...
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### Recent missed opportunities à la Freeman Dyson

There is an excellent paper by Freeman Dyson from 1972 (here) and therein the author cites old talks by Hilbert (here) and Minkowski (chapter 2 here) speaking about similar topics, namely how ...
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### Would someone versed in relative motion consider it more accurate to say that a car slammed into, or collided with, a wall?

I've read that it's just as correct to think of A moving toward B (ie. A doesn't move, but B does) as it is to think about B as moving toward A (again, A doesn't move, but B does) or as the two moving ...