What is Building: Definition and 918 Discussions

A building, or edifice, is a structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, and have been adapted throughout history for a wide number of factors, from building materials available, to weather conditions, land prices, ground conditions, specific uses, and aesthetic reasons. To better understand the term building compare the list of nonbuilding structures.
Buildings serve several societal needs – primarily as shelter from weather, security, living space, privacy, to store belongings, and to comfortably live and work. A building as a shelter represents a physical division of the human habitat (a place of comfort and safety) and the outside (a place that at times may be harsh and harmful).
Ever since the first cave paintings, buildings have also become objects or canvasses of much artistic expression. In recent years, interest in sustainable planning and building practices has also become an intentional part of the design process of many new buildings and other structures.

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  1. H

    Can Series Capacitors Replace a High Voltage Capacitor in a Tesla Coil Setup?

    Is anyone familiar with the Tesla magnatic fueless generator and the associated Tesla coil set up, I have some basic engineering questions before making the coil eg. can three 200V 1uf capacitors in series be used instead of one 600V 1uf capacitor (which is difficult and expensive to purchase)?
  2. S

    Building Collapses: Examining the Physics and Symmetry of the Twin Towers

    I have received the following private message. Questions should not be asked this way. However it is a reasonable question so all may benefit from the answer. I do not know much about the structure of the twin towers but observe that since they are likely to be of similar framed...
  3. V

    Building a Laser - Brewster's Angle Problem

    Homework Statement You are making a laser with light of wavelength 310 nanometers using a MgF2 window (which will transmit the UV). The mirrors will be external so each end of the 'pumping' gas discharge tube must be cut at Brewster's angle so that there is no reflection from the surface as...
  4. X

    Projectile Motion, how tall is the building

    Homework Statement A ball thrown horizontally at 21.7 m/s from the roof of a building lands 35.5 m from the base of the building. How tall is the building? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution Vy= Voy + 1/2AT^2 Vy= -4.9(21.7)^2 Vy= -2307.361 I know it should be...
  5. F

    Building a Pair of Helmholtz Coils - Questions & Tips

    Hi, I'm building a pair of helmholtz coils to do a variety of magnetism-related experiments. I've borrowed an old Avo Douglas coil winder and plan to do a couple of thousand turns on two sections of 50mm or 60mm diameter pipe. Some nylon threaded rod will pass through the middle of each coil...
  6. M

    Kiln Building Q&A: Choosing the Right Element for 1500°C Heat

    Hello Everyone, I've been looking for an answer to problem I have and I'm getting nowhere so I thought asking the question in a place like this might be useful. I'm planning to build a kiln. I have refractory material that can sustain 1500 degrees celsius. I'm trying to choose an element...
  7. P

    Help with Building a Xylophone

    So since I am a physics major and a help tutor people in Introductory physics (for free), my mom decides to turn everyone who has physics for me to solve. While most of the time I can solve these problems, here is one that I am not sure even where to start. Heck I am not even sure if this is...
  8. O

    Calculating the Depth of an Artificial Lake in a Steep Valley

    "Building an artificial lake" Howdy PF :smile: this is actually a Calc III project I'm working on with two others. We are in the beginning stage and are having a little trouble on how to exactly go about doing this problem... Homework Statement "A small man made lake is being proposed on...
  9. M

    Building an atmospheric chamber

    Building an "atmospheric chamber" I have to build a chamber (ok, large box) to do some atmospheric pressure tests. The box will be 48 inches square. I have to simulate going from sea level (0 feet, 14.696 psia) to 7000 feet (11.34 psia). I'm thinking of building the "box" from 3/4" plywood...
  10. W

    Building a Wind Generator with a DC Motor

    Hi everyone. This is my first time trying this. So please be gentle. My question is to do with a dc motor. I want to build a wind generator and I am trying to figure out what size motor to start with and try to size the blades to get the best out of it. I know that their is a lot of other...
  11. F

    Photo showing decimated reactor building troubles me

    Look at this photo of the severe damage to one of the fukashima reactor buildings (I'm not sure which one) and tell me that the containment structure and/or reactor vessel have not been severely damaged? Judging from the photo, 3/4 of the reactor building has been obliterated. Nobody is saying...
  12. N

    How can I build an optics bench for a science exhibit?

    I am trying to build an optics bench, similar to one you might find in a high school physics classroom. This is a prototype for a science center exhibit. Now, it's been a while since I took optics, so I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. I know what I want my result to be, but I'm having trouble...
  13. Drakkith

    Build a Fusor: Static Electric Field & Alt. Sides

    Hello all. I'm building a Fusor at home, (or at least I am trying to...) and I had a question. I know that a static electric field cannot contain ions inside it, but I was wondering if you alternate the field between different sides of the inner grid would that make any difference? The reason i...
  14. B

    DIY Strobe Light with Adjustable Frequency: Troubleshooting Tips

    I'm trying to build a strobe light with an adjustable frequency. I have 1.5V, 9V batteries,1 micro farad, 10 micro farad, 160 micro farad capacitors, 500k ohm volume control, 25 ohm Rheostat, breadboard and diodes. I put the battery in series with the capacitor and volume control/Rheostat in...
  15. C

    Power generation through building damping systems

    Hello, first time posting. If this is in the wrong forum, please move it to the correct one. (its a cross mechanical/structural/civil/electrical engineering idea) I was thinking on the way home Power generation. In order to generate power, wave motion can be used (such as tidal/wave power...
  16. F

    Energy problem-worker on roof of a building dropped a wrench over the edge

    Homework Statement a worker on the roof of a building that is under construction dropped a 0.125 kg wrench over the edge. another workman on the 8th floor saw the wrench go by and determined that its speed at that level was 33.1 m/s. the first floor of the building is 12.0m high and each...
  17. B

    Constructing a 1nF Capacitor with >10kV Breakdown Potential

    Homework Statement You are asked to construct a capacitor having a capacitance of around 1 nF and a breakdown potential in excess of 10,000V. You're thinking of using the sides of a tall Pyrex laboratory cylindrical beaker. You can line the inside and outside of the sides of the beaker with...
  18. M

    Need help building a device to manipulate low voltage

    Hello, I need some assistance building a device. I want to input a voltage below 5v, process it and manipulate it by a programmed amount. It won't be perfectly even so I can't do it by a set resistance, meaning the scaling will be different. Example: input 3.74v process it as 73 degrees, then...
  19. S

    Building a Model Car: Ideas for Traveling 10 Meters

    Homework Statement So for physics class we each have to build a small car (think less than 1 foot by 1 foot) It cannot be motorized, remote controlled, pulled, pushed, etc. It's not speed that's the problem though, it's distance. It has to travel about 10 meters and it will stop by going...
  20. H

    Building a Calculator Circuit with 74147 IC - Data Holding & Shifting Solutions

    [b]1.We have an assignment, we need to construct the circuit of calculator using 74147 IC . Can anybody help me on how to hold and shift the data, and also how to have a 0 display. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution
  21. wolram

    How Much Info for Building a Universe?

    How many bits of information are needed to build a universe, I think J Baez ran simulations on an ordinary desk top, sorry i may be wrong, but any way how much information would be needed?
  22. FlexGunship

    Ice Fort Building: From Year 1 to 3

    So, my friends and I build ice forts each year (well, not last year... not enough snow). Each year they get a little more ambitious as we apply our previously learned trade-skills to the next generation. I thought I would share a bit here; we just started work on the third generation over this...
  23. P

    Build a Pasta Bridge: Physics Challenge & Tutorials

    hello there Physics friends. I am building a Pasta Bridge. The Bridge can be made of Any solid, round, commercial pasta (e.g. spaghetti, spaghettini or vermicelli) may be used as long as its initial diameter is not greater than 3 mm and not less than 1 mm. The Bridges must span a gorge...
  24. L

    Building a Sensor Circuit to Measure High Temperatures

    Hi, I have to build a sensor circuit to measure temperatures up to 2000°C. I searched for an IR sensor for this and it seems they are very costly. Is there a way to suppress the incoming IR radiation from the source and direct it to a sensor having lower temperature sensing ranges? I...
  25. S

    Building a roller coaster in school

    Not using template since it doesn't really fit. I have to build a rollercoaster for school (grade 12) and it's due at the end of the month. There's no restrictions, so you can build it using whatever materials and such that you want. It's graded based on loops and hills. Every loop is 20%...
  26. K

    Task of building a water barometer.

    Homework Statement Your physics teacher has assigned you the task of building a water barometer. You've learned that the pressure of the atmosphere can vary by much as 5 percent from 1 standard atmosphere as the weather changes. A. What is the minimum height you must build your barometer...
  27. B

    Building Force Sensors to Understanding and Creating Your Own

    I have to do a project involving force sensors. I was wondering if anyone knew if there is any good books on how to build them or a book that explains how they work so I can build my own.
  28. A

    How do I calculate the torque needed for a rotating cylinder?

    So essentially I'm trying to build a rotating free floating rotating cylinder (like laying a coke can on its side and propping it up so that when it rotates it won't have contact with the ground) I hope this is clear and I need to figure out what size of motor I need to turn my cylinder by...
  29. C

    BuildTesseract.htmlBuilding a Tesseract: Can it be Done?

    Is it possible to build a physical tesseract? I am thinking of building one, but I'm not sure what to do with the joints. http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2uDwyo/www.math.harvard.edu/archive/21b_fall_03/4dcube/
  30. J

    Ap Chemistry: Building (and Breaking) Buffers lab

    Homework Statement Overall goals: Your first task will be to make a buffer solution of defined pH. Part of your grade will be based on how close your solution comes to the desired pH. Your second task will be to titrate your buffer using 0.5 M NaOH or 0.5 M HCl until the buffer “breaks”...
  31. Q

    A REDICULOUSLY hard questions about building a temperature model

    Please help. I need this answered by tomorrow morning. The question is: Compute the average temperature over the Earth's surface given the fact that the Earth is a sphere with radius a=p. The temperature model is given by the linear transformation T=2(deg)+85sin(φ), with a 90deg rotation...
  32. C

    Help building one flip flop using another? (Digital Logic Design)

    Can anyone show me the proper procedure to construct a flip flop using another flip flop? My Teaching Assistant gave us these steps you can use on any occasion but I cannot seem to apply it in this certain case. How do you build a JK flip flop using a Toggle Flip Flop with an Enable? The...
  33. B

    Building a wind simulator. Control amount of electricity?

    Building a wind simulator. Control amount of electricity?? I have about 20 6" fans that i'd like to mount to something in which I can control electricity to each fan and essentially simulate wind. I looked at light DMX controllers for DJ's and that would be perfect except the electricty...
  34. J

    Are computer building advice requests welcome here?

    I'm looking to build a new computer for myself but it's been a while since I've done so and I find the market to be more confusing now than ever. Are requests for such advice welcome on these forums? I figure a question on forum protocol would be more welcome than a blatant violation of...
  35. S

    Building a Discussion Group Using Set Theory

    Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas how to approach this model building exercise. I've got to use set theory to design a discussion group, I'm given two initial sets (Persons and Strings), from this I have to make the following sets: Members - set of members, each member is a...
  36. M

    Average force if jumping off a building?

    average force if jumping off a building? Homework Statement A 75.0-kg stuntman jumps from a balcony and falls 25.0 m before colliding with a pile of mattresses. If the mattresses are compressed 1.00 m before he is brought to rest, what is the average force exerted by the mattresses on...
  37. B

    2 balls and the height of a building

    1. A person drops a ball from the top of a building; 1 second later, a second ball is thrown straight up from the bottom of the same building. The ball that is thrown upwards has just the necessary speed to just make it to the top of the building. As the balls pass each other, they have the...
  38. P

    MATLAB How Do You Create a Callback Function for a Currency Converter in MATLAB?

    Hi, I'm working on a currency converter and have some trouble trying to understand how to do the callback function. What I have is 2 menus with source and target currency. I also have an edit box to enter the amount. I have to press a convert button and the output is displayed in another text...
  39. A

    Building the World's Tallest Structure in Record Time!

    A crazed billionaire has a lifelong dream to build the world's tallest structure as a testament to his glory. Fearing competition, he decides that his tower must be far taller than any other in order to remain that way for as long as possible. The goal: build a 10 km tower, and do it in as...
  40. T

    Comp Sci Java Maze Building: Find the Edges of an hxw Grid of Squares

    Homework Statement So, I'm writing a class that builds a maze using disjoints sets, and need to find the edges shared by the cells in the grid. Find the edges, not including boundaries, of an h by w grid of squares. For example a 2x2 grid +--+--+ | 0 |1 | +--+--+ | 2 |3 | +--+--+ has...
  41. B

    Building a Maglev Model: Step-by-Step Guide

    Homework Statement To design a working maglev model... in steps and phases. I m working on creating a working maglev model for college electrical engineering project. I am building this from scratch and I am currently working on a 4-5 section of track to start with levitation. Homework...
  42. D

    Need Help Building Work Portfolio

    I would like to build a work porfolio for applying for freelance jobs, but I don't really have much relevant work experience that I can draw from. I have a Physics background and I'm looking for projects that are related to engineering, programming, most of the sciences, and technical writing...
  43. F

    Resume building for math PHD (current MS student)

    Hello all, I did my BS in finance and business management (fluff, I know) in 2007. I worked for three years but starting in 2009 I got bored and took some undergrad classes in math. I had some calculus as an undergrad but I took advanced calculus, real analysis and ODEs over 2009-2010...
  44. A

    What is the Weight Reduction with Each Added Pulley in a Pulley System?

    I am working on making a system of pulleys and a lever. I am planning on using a complex pulley with a few blocks. I wanted to know what how much weight is taken off with the addition of each pulley. If anyone knows some of the equations involved it would be much appreciated. I was planning...
  45. F

    Determine the average force of the wind on the building

    Homework Statement Air in a 140 km/h wind strikes head-on the face of a building 60 m wide by 50 m high and is brought to rest. If air has a mass of 1.3 kg per cubic meter, determine the average force of the wind on the building. Homework Equations The book seems to suggest the impulse...
  46. S

    Can microwave radiation penetrates building materials?

    Can Microwave radiation penetrates building materials? I'm living within 120 meters from a mobile phone base station and I'm concerned with possible health effects from it .
  47. T

    Building an electron multiplier tube

    This is for a mass spectrometer project so the photomultiplier tube will be hit by charged proteins or other macromolecules. This project is mostly DIY so I'm trying to avoid buying any expensive parts. Anyway, from what I understand, electron multipliers work by releasing secondary emission...
  48. S

    Ask a Blacksmith Student: Building a Gate with Cogs & Counterweight

    Hi I am an artist blacksmith student and am looking at building a gate that incorporates engineering mechanisms and am a bit stumped, so I am looking for advise I intend to build a gate from forged steel and cogs I want the gate to be linked to a counterweight that is lifted as the gate is...
  49. E

    Building a NEO Magnet Magnetizer

    I am looking to build a NEO magnet magnetizer for RC motors. Currently we are having issues with the motors losing magnet strength after they are run. The rotors to replace are $30+. In the Old days, we ran brushed ceramic magnet motors. With these, we had a magnetizer to simply zap the motors...
  50. M

    Building a Jet Engine - Step by Step Guide

    Hi guys... we are currently interested -in our clip of aerospace engineering in my uni.- to build a complete jet engine ... unfortunately.. we have not yet found any detailed explanation to each step in doing so .. if you have any link or uploaded book or even you remember some manuals...
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