Questions tagged [laws-of-physics]
DO NOT USE THIS TAG just because the question deals with a law of physics!
145
questions
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Are there other theories (apart from string theory) that combined with inflation, would produce universes with different laws?
In chaotic inflation, space would stop expanding in some points, creating hubble volumes that could experience different spontaneous symmetry breaking, which would result in different properties, such ...
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1answer
56 views
Question reg. reasoning of deterministic reversible cyclical laws - The Theoretical Minimum
I recently started reading "The Theoretical Minimum: What you need to know to start doing Physics".
In the first chapter, the authors define the "Minus-First law", and state that reversible ".. laws ...
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4answers
763 views
Difference between Postulate versus Law
In quantum mechanics, we have many different postulates.
In classic mechanics, we have different laws.
As far as I know, physics's laws are temporarily correct until an anomaly. But what is the ...
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0answers
49 views
What physical laws differs in non inertial frame
For me physical laws should be observers independent, what should be depend on the observers are measurements.
But one of the postulates of Special relativity is that all laws of physics should be ...
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2answers
100 views
Examples of theories that assume the existence of an “External Reality”?
In this paper written by physicist Max Tegmark (https://arxiv.org/pdf/0704.0646.pdf) it talks about "External Reality Hypothesis". Specifically, he says:
Although many physicists subscribe to the ...
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0answers
51 views
Is Universal Law of Gravitation a 'law'? [duplicate]
My textbook mentions that the universal law of gravitation cannot be proved. If so, then why is it called a 'law' and not a 'hypothesis'?
2
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2answers
265 views
Does the principle of explosion mean we can prove objects must “fall up” because QM is inconsistent with GR?
(Not sure if this is more appropriate to the Maths.SE)
The Principle of Explosion is a law of classical logic which says that if we accept inconsistency, then everything becomes possible. I am ...
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1answer
59 views
Would any continuous model of the universe have/be based on hypercomputational laws?
I've read that when Turing-Church thesis is applied to the universe and physics, one of the three interpretations that we can use and is defended by some important physicists is that:
"The universe ...
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3answers
310 views
Is physics the same everywhere in the universe? What if it isn't? [closed]
So, my friend the other day brought up an interesting topic: Does physics need to be the same everywhere? He asked, how do we know the universe doesn't, say, simplify itself, far away from us?
For ...
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4answers
2k views
Is the second law of thermodynamics a “no-go” theorem?
As defined here, there are several no-go theorems in theoretical physics. These theorems are statements of impossibility.
The second law of thermodynamics may be stated in several ways, some of which ...
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4answers
274 views
Thermodynamics second law variational statement query
In thermodynamics as I understand entropy is a state function.
A state function is a property whose value does not depend on the path taken to reach that specific value. In contrast, functions that ...
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1answer
56 views
Theories, Corollaries, and Models
I apologize if this question seems overly basic. I was wondering how to recognize what a theory is really saying, as opposed to the explanation/corollaries that are drawn from it.
As an example, take ...
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1answer
156 views
Faraday's Law and the Law of Inertia
Faraday's Law can be stated qualitatively as : Any loop (of wire) opposes/resists the change of magnetic flux through it.
The Law of Inertia states that any physical object resists its change in ...
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2answers
86 views
Issue regarding Newton's second law
Newton's second law says that :
The rate of change of momentum of a body is
directly proportional to the applied force and
takes place in the direction in which the force
acts. Mathematically it says,...
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3answers
379 views
What are the most fundamental laws of Newtonian Physics? [closed]
By fundamental, I mean, those laws which if assumed could be used to prove all other laws and provide the essence of the complete picture.
I am a high school student, while learning physics I came ...
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1answer
669 views
If two different theories describe experimental observations equally well, can one be said to be more valid than the other? [closed]
Assuming both use accepted rules of logic, which of the two theories would be accepted and on what basis, for example: simplicity etc.
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5answers
309 views
Why are the laws of nature consistent? Is it possible for there to be an existence where (eg.) gravity works only some of the time?
Why does the universe always apply the precise forces/events/occurrences in such a way that it wont let you ever catch it in a paradox?
What creates the consistency?
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1answer
494 views
Why do the laws of physics fail to predict the behavior of frustrators? [closed]
This is my attempt to make an earlier question less broad. This question takes the form of a thought experiment, and is based on this video.
Suppose you are given:
The positions, velocities, ...
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4answers
213 views
How are theories selected?
My motivations for asking this question are philosophical but I think this is a question that is best answered by the physics community.
There is a problem in the philosophy of science called the '...
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2answers
109 views
What laws/assumptions are considered fundamental/axiomatic to the widest range of fields of physics?
Inspired by the PBS Space time video on Noether's Theorem released the other day, I got to thinking about what can be considered the most fundamental laws in Physics. They mention in the video that ...
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1answer
275 views
Can the fundamental laws of Physics be formalized as axioms written in First Order Logic (FOL), or any other logical system for that matter?
Is it possible to state any fundamental law in Physics as an axiom written in First Order Logic (FOL), or any other logical system (and semantic interpretation) for that matter?
EDIT: in a way that ...
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1answer
156 views
Static temperature
A Professor of Fluid Mechanics a told that the static temperature is the temperature observed when the relative speed between observer(thermometer) and fluid is zero.
I have trouble understanding as ...
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2answers
162 views
Do we study the true nature of the universe or reality or just create a model (mathematical) to get approximation close enough to our use? [closed]
Do we study the true nature of the universe or reality or just create a model(mathematical) to get approximation close enough to our use? whether they have to do any thing with reality or not.
I have ...
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0answers
121 views
What physical laws would need to change? [closed]
My fictional worlds reside in a multiverse. More specifically, they reside in a universe within that multiverse that is very similar to ours.
But here are some big differences:
White holes are in ...
1
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1answer
26 views
An electricity experiment [closed]
Ohms law can be sated as V=IR.
a. Suppose in an experiment, data is collected of the variation of current with
resistance R. Next a plot of R vs I
-1 is made. How does one determine the
value of V ...
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1answer
335 views
Are certain fields of physics axiomatized?
Everything from Quantum mechanics can be derived from six (?) postulates. Similarly classical electrodynamics can be reduced to Maxwell's equations and Lorentz force law, and special relativity is ...
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1answer
188 views
Difference between a law and a theory [duplicate]
What is the difference between a law and a theory?
Some seem to think that a law is a single relationship or a single equation, while a theory is an explanatory framework in which these laws come ...
0
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1answer
44 views
Could the equations of physics evolve over time? [duplicate]
Current equations describe everything pretty well but there are some issues considering inflation, quantum gravity, black holes,...
How would we be able to verify that these do not evolve over long ...
0
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1answer
131 views
Non-negotiable laws in physics [closed]
Are there laws (axioms / principles / equations / inequalities) in physics that cannot be violated, no matter how slightly, by hand without leading to absurdities (singularities, inconsistencies)?
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3answers
103 views
Need an example of an experiment highlighting Time translation Symmetry
So I have been doing some research on different types of continous symmetries (mainly interested in continuous symmetry since I have been learning abit about Noethers theorem.) and understand the ...
3
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3answers
181 views
How Newton's laws replicate themselves on a larger scale?
Now I was reading The Feynman Lectures on Physics and found this which I found somewhat peculiar and deep and thus want your assistance here. So here it goes:
The theorem concerning the motion of ...
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0answers
53 views
Expansion of the universe & laws of physics [duplicate]
Does the expansion of the universe have an effect on the laws of physics, or the constants used in physics? If we were to imagine the universe 40 billion years later, would the same laws still apply?
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1answer
58 views
Can the universe operate on a totally different set of laws? [closed]
Recently, I learnt that there are many, many mathematically consistent set of universal laws.
How would a universe based on a totally different set of laws look like?
What are the mathematical ...
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6answers
1k views
Universality of the laws of physics
How is it known at any point in the space of this universe that there is no particle in which its gravitational force does not follow Newton's law or other current laws?
How does the same matter ...
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1answer
126 views
Why physical laws always have curves for solutions?
Many physical laws are formulated as differential equations. Parabolic equations have parabola as a solution, elliptic equation an ellipse, hyperbolic an hyperbola.
All these solutions are curves, ...
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1answer
95 views
Do physical laws require 2nd derivatives [duplicate]
Is it a happy coincidence that second degree differential equations approximate reality or a necessity? They describe how a system will evolve from one state to the next, but surely the ultimate laws ...
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3answers
1k views
Why is conservation of angular momentum considered a law?
We know that angular momentum is defined as the cross product of position and linear momentum. By taking the time derivative, we can deduce that the time rate of change of the angular momentum equals ...
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2answers
857 views
What is governing the laws of physics? [closed]
What makes all the laws of physics do what they do? What is the governor of all of those laws?
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3answers
401 views
Regardless of the multiverse. How are our constants and laws communicated across our universe, and my bathroom?
Assuming the multiverse theory is true, then each universe has a different set of constants and it provides a reasonable explanation as to why the constants in our universe seem set 'just right' for ...
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4answers
13k views
Why does increasing resistance decrease the heat produced in an electric circuit?
If $H=\frac{V^2}{R}{t}$ ,then increasing resistance means decreasing the heat produced.
But, isnt it that the heat in a circuit is produced due to the presence of resistors? Moreover metals with ...
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4answers
1k views
Justification of Physical Laws [closed]
I'm a maths student, and I've studied quite a lot of mathematical physics. All my courses have a similar style - we state the laws of the system, and then deduce the physical consequences as theorems. ...
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3answers
696 views
About time and time dilation [closed]
This question is related to this answer of John Rennie.
He says:
The length of the red line is the same in both figure 1 and figure 2
I guess his meaning of red line is the space-time distance ...
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3answers
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Do we not need a Zeroth Law of motion similar to the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics? [closed]
Is the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics necessary?
If so, then do we need a similar law for motion?
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3answers
137 views
Can we have a physics by using other mathematics except calculus? [closed]
We (I) always have been said that we don't need to real values, we just need to differences. For example, $\mathrm du=C_v\mathrm dT$ and $\Delta u=\int_{T_1}^{T_2}C_v\mathrm dT$.
So, I have some ...
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3answers
1k views
Is a theory the same as a hypothesis? [duplicate]
“Any physical theory is always provisional, in the sense that it is
only a hypothesis: you can never prove it.”
Excerpt from Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time, iBooks.
So does that mean ...
3
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0answers
754 views
What's the difference between hypothesis, theory and law? [closed]
What's the difference between hypothesis, theory and law? I think I'm confused now because I exactly learned the misconception one as explained below in high school.
According to this university's ...
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1answer
96 views
Observation and deduction about a stick
Given a horizontal stick AB and a string, of course a stick that is hang on the string in its center of mass is in equilibrium. This is a fact that we take as rule because we can observe it, right? I ...
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3answers
101 views
Growth and Decay, Law or not?
The differential equation for decay that applies to radioactive decay is:
$$dN/dt=-kN$$
for a positive constant k and number of particles N. My question is: is this, strictly speaking, a "Law"? I ...
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2answers
330 views
How are laws proven in general?
This may be a bad question, but what are the ways that laws are proven? I would expect that some ways would include by proving them mathematically or through experimentation.
My biggest question about ...
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1answer
272 views
While deriving Coulomb's Law from Gauss' Law, the power of 'r' comes out to be exactly 2 while experiment shows that it differs about 10^(-16). Why?
While deriving Coulomb's Law from Gauss' Law, the power of 'r' comes out to be exactly 2 while experiment shows that it differs about 10^(-16). Why is it so?
I'm referring to the book 'Physics by ...
